Shafaq News- Baghdad

The deserts of Najaf and Al-Anbar provinces contain no foreign military bases, Iraq’s Interior Ministry confirmed on Tuesday, rejecting reports of an alleged Israeli presence in the area.

Speaking at a press conference, Miqdad Miri, director of the ministry’s Public Relations and Media Department, said Iraq’s Joint Operations Command (JOC) had reviewed the issue and possessed “images and documents” proving the area was clear of any such activity. He added that “what occurred was an operation carried out within 48 hours during the war on Iran.”

The Israeli newspaper Maariv previously reported that Israel had operated a secret military base in Iraq’s western desert during the 2026 war with Iran, allegedly deploying commando teams, emergency medical units, and special forces to the remote area. The JOC later described the claims as inaccurate, urging media outlets and politicians not to circulate “unverified information.”

A lawmaker from Iraq’s Shiite Badr bloc, however, had told Shafaq News that a joint “US-Israeli” military camp still exists in western Iraq. The MP also criticized the Interior Ministry, the JOC, and border forces, noting that the area falls under the responsibility of Iraq’s border guards.

Read more: Israel's secret base in Iraq: what happened in the western desert