For more than a year, Iraq has secretly allowed two Israeli military bases to be established on its territory, official sources in Iraq and the region say, The New York Times (NYT) reports.

Accordingly, the Israeli military began preparations for the creation of one of these military bases as early as late 2024.

At the same time, NYT emphasizes that the US may have concealed from Iraq the presence of third-country troops on its territory. The daily notes that the disclosure of such data could jeopardize the US influence in this Middle Eastern country.

The NYT adds that Iraqi troops have been monitoring the military base remotely. Later, they requested additional information from the American side about the facility, but did not receive a response. Another Iraqi army unit attempted to approach the base, but it came under fire and was forced to retreat.

An unnamed official later confirmed the existence of a second military base. The facility is located in the western desert of Iraq, but its exact location is unknown.

Source: https://news.am/en/news/1036163