Episode
Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-05-09 at 18:02
- Published
- May 9, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 330
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Summary
HEADLINES Israel covert Iraqi base fuels looming strike Iran vows retaliation on US bases Satellite images show four Iranian tankers damaged The time is now 6:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report. In Operation Lion's Roar, Israel built a secret military base in a remote part of the Iraqi desert to support an airstrike in the war against Iran, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The outpost housed Air Force special forces and served as a logistics facility, with IDF troops stationed there in case pilots were shot down over enemy territory. The report says the base was erected shortly before Operation Roaring Lion began in February, and that authorities nearly triggered strikes against Iraqi troops who had almost uncovered the site. A local shepherd on March 4 spotted unusual activity, including helicopter flights, and alerted Iraqi security forces. Baghdad condemned the incident and filed a complaint with the United Nations, while a US source told WSJ that American forces were not involved. A related account describes the covert base as deep in Iraq’s western desert that remained hidden until early March, intended to support Israeli special forces, intelligence collection and combat search-and-rescue teams operating more than 1,000 miles from Israel. As Iraqi troops moved toward the area near Nukhayb in Anbar province, Israeli aircraft struck the approaching unit, killing one Iraqi soldier and wounding two others to prevent exposure. Iraq later lodged complaints at the United Nations over sovereignty violations, and Washington denied involvement. Israeli Air Force commander Major General Tomer Bar wrote in a March letter that IAF special units were carrying out “extraordinary missions” capable of “igniting the im…