An Iraqi shepherd was shot and killed by a helicopter after stumbling upon a covert Israeli military base in Iraq’s western desert, according to an investigation by The New York Times published on May 17. Local witnesses said Awad al-Shammari had been on a routine trip to buy groceries when he discovered the site. His death has ignited a political crisis in Baghdad over the reported presence of Israeli military installations on Iraqi soil.
The New York Times reported that al-Shammari’s family searched for two days before learning of his fate. They were warned away before they could reach the scene.
“We were told that a burned-up pickup truck the same as Awad’s was out there, but no one dared to go there,” his cousin Amir told The New York Times. “When we got there, we found the car and body burned.”
The killing is connected to a broader story that has shaken the Iraqi political establishment. The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Israel set up a covert outpost in Iraq’s western desert during the conflict with Iran, used to support air operations and to house special forces units. The installations were built shortly before the war began in February and were later used during an attack in March on Iraqi troops who had nearly uncovered the site.
The New York Times also reported a second Israeli base in the same desert, which predated the current war between the United States, Israel, and Iran and was used during operations against Iran in June 2025.
Israeli newspaper Maariv reported that the Israeli military deployed rescue teams and commando units to the forward position, tasked with extracting downed air crews from inside Iran if necessary.
Open-source intelligence played a key role in corroborating the reports. The Faytuks Network intelligence platform published satellite imagery taken in March that appeared to show a makeshift airstrip on a dried lakebed in Iraq’s western desert, with aircraft and temporary structures reportedly visible at the site.
On 4 March, Iraqi media reported that a soldier was killed during clashes with an unidentified foreign force in the desert between Najaf and Karbala. Iraqi troops had been dispatched to investigate reports of a military airdrop involving several helicopters in the area. A parliamentary official told The New Arab that Iraqi authorities initially believed the force was American and operating under the umbrella of the international coalition.
The disclosures have drawn sharp accusations against both Israel and the United States. Iraqi Member of Parliament Raed al-Maliki accused the US of handing Iraqi airspace to Israel during the war and ordering radar systems to be shut down. “Now it has become clear that Iraqi territory was also used to establish a secret intelligence centre or base for the Zionist entity,” he said.
Officials told The New York Times that the base discovered by al-Shammari had been known to Washington since at least June 2025, suggesting the US had withheld the information from the Iraqi government despite being a close ally.
The political fallout is moving fast. Iraq’s parliament is set to summon the defence and interior ministers following the reports, according to The New Arab. A parliamentary official said senior security figures would also be questioned to establish the truth behind the alleged Israeli base.
Security sources told several Arab media outlets that there was currently no Israeli presence at the site. The Iraqi government has not officially commented on the reports.
Regional and Global Impact
The reports place the Iraqi government in a deeply exposed position. Iraq has no diplomatic relations with Israel, and the suggestion that Israeli forces operated from Iraqi territory — with apparent American knowledge — threatens to inflame public opinion and strain Baghdad’s relationships with both Washington and Iran-aligned factions within the country. The reports have sparked anger across Iraq, with growing calls for the government to provide answers and hold those responsible to account.
For the United States, the allegation that Washington concealed knowledge of the bases from Baghdad complicates its role as a partner in Iraqi security. The international coalition presence in Iraq has long been a point of domestic contention, and fresh accusations of coordination with Israel without Iraqi consent add pressure on that arrangement.
Background
Iraq and Israel have no formal diplomatic ties and are technically in a state of hostility dating to the establishment of the Israeli state in 1948. The US-led international coalition has maintained a military presence in Iraq since 2014, nominally to counter the Islamic State militant group. Iran-aligned armed factions hold significant political and military influence inside Iraq. The Israel-Iran war, according to multiple reports, began in earnest in early February 2026, with the United States participating alongside Israel. Iraq, situated between Iran and US-allied states in the region, has attempted to maintain a position of formal neutrality while hosting coalition forces.
What Happens Next
Iraq’s parliament is expected to formally summon the defence and interior ministers to answer questions about the alleged base. The New York Times investigation into al-Shammari’s death is likely to intensify pressure on the Iraqi government to respond publicly. Senior security officials are also expected to face parliamentary questioning as part of the inquiry. The Iraqi government has yet to schedule any formal statement or press conference on the matter.
