Israel built secret base in Iraqi desert during war with Iran

The Israeli Defense Forces built a secret military base in the Iraqi desert in February to support Operation Roaring Lion, an airstrike campaign against Iran, according to the Wall Street Journal citing US officials and people familiar with the operation. The facility housed Air Force special forces and served as a logistics hub; in March, Iraqi troops nearly discovered the base after a shepherd reported unusual helicopter activity, prompting the IDF to conduct airstrikes that killed one Iraqi soldier, leading Baghdad to lodge a UN complaint.