ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iraq’s Joint Operations Command on Monday denied the presence of any “unauthorized forces or bases” in the country’s western deserts, stressing that they will pursue legal action, after a fatal March clash sparked rumors about a secret Israeli base in the area.

A report published Saturday by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) said that Israel had established a clandestine military outpost in Iraq’s desert shortly before the war with Iran began on February 28, allegedly with US knowledge. 

In a statement, the Joint Operations Command stated that there is an “exaggeration in statements made without knowledge of the facts,” affirming that “there are no unauthorized forces or bases currently present on Iraqi soil.”

“Necessary legal measures will be taken against anyone who attempts to disseminate misleading information or malicious rumors that send negative messages about Iraq's sovereignty,” the statement added.

On Sunday, senior Badr Organization official Abu Turab al-Tamimi said that the reports constitute a “serious military scandal” which “cannot be ignored or justified,” stressing “Iraq’s sovereignty and border security are not open to negligence or political deals.”

The WSJ article reported that Iraqi forces nearly discovered the base in early March after a shepherd reported unusual military activity and helicopter flights in the desert. Iraqi troops dispatched to investigate allegedly came under Israeli airstrikes aimed at protecting the operation.

The reports relate to an incident that took place on March 5 in the desert areas between Karbala, Najaf, and Nukhayb in western Iraq, where Iraqi security forces clashed with unidentified armed groups backed by air support, killing one Iraqi soldier and injuring two.

The Iraqi body noted that certain parties are attempting to “exploit this incident politically,” noting that inspection results have confirmed “the absence of any unauthorized bases or forces throughout the period from the date mentioned above [March 5] until today.”

The organization’s remarks echo head of Iraq's Security Media Cell Saad Maan’s words to state media the day prior, where he noted that “we did not find during the search operations in April and May any presence of this force or other unauthorized forces.”

Iraq later filed a complaint to the United Nations over the incident.

The Iraqi government does not maintain any official relations with nor indeed recognize the Israeli state. In May 2022, the Iraqi parliament passed a law to criminalize the normalization of ties with Israel with a majority vote, with the penalties ranging up to life imprisonment or the death penalty.