00:00Iraqi officials have denied reports that Israel operated a sacred desert base inside Iraq during the war with Iran.
00:08On Tuesday, Iraqi forces escorted journalists to the alleged site,
00:12saying no evidence of a long-term military presence was found,
00:17despite reports of a foreign force spotted there in March.
00:21What has been said by the Israeli and American media regarding an Israeli base, it is here in front of
00:27you.
00:27We believe it was a small force that came and stayed for no longer than 48 hours.
00:32After the Matadom incident of one of our soldiers, they pulled out by night time, as I believe,
00:37because on the 5th of March, the commander of operations came and sat this area and didn't find anyone.
00:45The incident unfolded days after the United States and Israel launched coordinated strike on Iran on February 28,
00:52triggering a broader regional confrontation in which Iraq found itself caught in the crossfire.
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