Overview
- Baghdad lodged a complaint at the United Nations after major outlets published satellite images and accounts alleging at least one covert Israeli site, with the New York Times also describing a second location.
- The reported forward strip in the Najaf desert near the town of An-Nuchaib shows a roughly 1.6–1.7 kilometer runway with tents and equipment that outlets say supported logistics and housed special forces for operations against Iran.
- After a local shepherd encountered the site in early March, Iraqi units sent to inspect came under Israeli airstrikes that killed one soldier and wounded two, according to Iraq’s military.
- The shepherd, identified as Awad al‑Shammari, was reported killed following the encounter, based on a family account cited by the New York Times.
- U.S. officials were aware of the site since June 2025, according to reporting, with some accounts saying the Pentagon backed Israeli use or urged Iraqi forces to avoid the area, while Israel declined to comment.