US-Israeli camp persists in Iraq's desert, MP says

Shafaq News- Baghdad

A joint “US-Israeli” military camp remains in western Iraq, a lawmaker told Shafaq News on Monday, claiming that Iraqi security forces were prevented from approaching the site.

According to Shaker Abu Turab al-Tamimi, a member of Iraq’s Badr parliamentary bloc, the Iraqi government was initially unaware of the matter before security agencies briefed Baghdad on the issue.

He also blamed the Interior Ministry, the Joint Operations Command, and border forces, pointing out that the area falls within the jurisdiction of Iraq’s border guards.

Israeli newspaper Maariv previously reported that Israel operated a secret military base in Iraq’s western desert during the 2026 conflict with Iran, deploying commando teams, emergency medical units, and Special Forces to the area. Iraqi security forces dismissed the reports, maintaining that no evidence of foreign troops or military equipment had been found.