Hargeisa, Somalia — Israel is exploring a deeper security partnership with Somaliland, Somalia’s breakaway region, that could include a military foothold on the Gulf of Aden, Bloomberg reported Wednesday.
The move would place the Jewish state directly across the water from Yemen’s Houthi rebels and deepen the growing struggle for influence around the Red Sea.
The report said the discussions have gained urgency as war with Iran sharpens concern over regional shipping lanes.
It also highlights the threat posed by the Houthis, the Tehran-backed Yemeni movement that has repeatedly targeted vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since late 2023.
Bloomberg, citing Somaliland officials and people familiar with the matter, said Israel has been considering a strategic presence on Somaliland’s coast after formally recognizing the breakaway territory in late December.
Israel’s recognition of Somaliland on December 26 made it the first country to formally acknowledge the self-declared republic.
Somaliland broke away from Somalia in 1991 but has never secured broad international recognition.
That step transformed years of quiet contact into an open strategic relationship focused on one of the world’s most sensitive maritime chokepoints.
Strategic shoreline
Bloomberg reported that Somaliland’s minister of the presidency, Khadar Hussein Abdi, said the relationship with Israel would be strategic in security terms and could expand further.
He noted this could include future assessments of a possible military base.
The report said Israeli officials had already surveyed parts of Somaliland’s coastline, including areas west of Berbera.
They examined options for an installation that could help monitor or counter the Houthis across the Gulf of Aden.
The geography helps explain the interest.
Somaliland’s coast lies near the Bab al-Mandeb gateway linking the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea, a narrow passage vital to global trade.
Commercial vessels using the route have faced persistent Houthi attacks.
This has forced many shipping companies to reroute around southern Africa, adding both time and cost to voyages between Europe and Asia.
The attacks caused traffic through the Suez Canal to fall by 75 percent in 2024, underlining how a conflict centered on Yemen can ripple through the global economy.
The stakes have risen further since the current Iran war erupted on February 28 after US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
Since then, the Strait of Hormuz has come under intense pressure, with multiple vessels hit and insurers warning of rising risks to merchant shipping.
Although the Hormuz crisis lies to the east of the Arabian Peninsula, it has renewed focus on the Red Sea corridor and on any location that could help secure access to it.
Regional backlash
Any Israeli military presence in Somaliland would likely trigger strong opposition across the region.
Somalia has rejected Israel’s recognition of Somaliland as a violation of its sovereignty. Meanwhile, the African Union in January called for the decision to be revoked.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar visited Hargeisa days after recognition.
The visit angered Mogadishu and deepened fears that the Horn of Africa is becoming another front in the wider Middle East confrontation.
The move would also play into an increasingly crowded contest for influence in the Horn.
The United Arab Emirates has built deep ties with Somaliland, anchored by DP World’s $442 million investment in Berbera port.
Turkey remains the Somali federal government’s closest security partner and operates its largest overseas military base in Mogadishu.
Turkey sent its deep-sea drilling vessel Cagri Bey to Somalia last month for its first offshore mission outside Turkish waters.
The deployment highlights Ankara’s expanding strategic and energy interests in the region.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has condemned Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, saying it benefits nobody and risks further destabilizing the region.
His criticism reflects a broader rivalry in which Somaliland’s coastline, once largely peripheral to international diplomacy, has become a key prize.
It is now a contest involving Israel, Turkey, the UAE, Somalia, and Arab states concerned about security in both the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea.
Houthi factor
For Israel, the central concern is Yemen.
The Houthis have fired missiles and drones toward Israel and attacked shipping they say is linked to Israel or its allies.
The group has targeted more than 100 merchant ships since November 2023, sinking vessels, seizing others, and killing sailors.
Although the Houthis have so far stopped short of opening a new front in the current Iran war, that possibility remains a major strategic concern for Israel and for Western shipping interests.
Bloomberg said Israeli officials now see the Houthis as among the most serious remaining threats on Iran’s regional axis after the weakening of Hamas and Hezbollah.
A foothold in Somaliland would not only give Israel a position near Yemen, but it would also signal that the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden are no longer secondary theaters.
Instead, they are increasingly becoming central battlegrounds in a regional struggle stretching from Gaza and Iran to the Horn of Africa.