Israeli forces set up in the Iraqi desert during Iran war, officials say

Key Points:

• Israeli forces established a temporary military post in Iraq's Nukhaib desert at the start of the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, serving as a logistical hub and monitoring site for rocket and drone activity by Iraqi militias, according to Iraqi and U.S. officials.
• The presence of this unauthorized force sparked tensions in Iraq, with Iraqi army units investigating and encountering aerial attacks that resulted in casualties; Iraqi officials confirmed the force was small and short-term, disputing the characterization of it as a permanent base.
• Satellite imagery revealed a 1.5-kilometer-long human-made track at the site, suitable for warplane takeoffs and landings, located about 250 kilometers southwest of Baghdad and 45 kilometers from the nearest town, al-Nukhaib.
• The Iraqi government condemned the involvement of foreign forces on its soil amid the regional conflict and called for Iraq to be kept out of the war between the U.S., Israel, and Iran.
• Both Israeli military representatives and U.S. officials declined to comment on the reports, while Iraqi military leaders emphasized that the Israeli presence was brief and limited to a small contingent.