Somaliland: Tel Aviv's Hidden Base in Africa

The overt and covert moves of the Zionist regime in recognizing "Somaliland" should be considered part of a multi-layered strategy to compensate for regional isolation and redefine Tel Aviv's strategic depth.

News ID: 87156

Date: 02 January 2026 - 21:13

TEHRAN (Defapress) - In a situation where the Zionist regime is facing deep security, legitimacy, and geopolitical crises in the region and the world after two years of the Gaza war and the killing of more than 71,000 Palestinians, it has begun new moves in the Horn of Africa, especially in the form of expressing a desire to recognize "Somaliland."

In fact, the overt and covert moves of the Zionist regime in recognizing Somaliland should be considered part of a multi-layered strategy to compensate for regional isolation and redefine Tel Aviv's strategic depth. The isolation of the region has reached its highest and greatest level with the killing and massacre of the people of the Gaza Strip.

On the other hand, during the successful and surprising Al-Aqsa Storm Operation, we are witnessing the damage and destruction of the strategic depth of the Zionist regime in the region, especially against the Axis of Resistance, including the Palestinian Resistance Forces and groups. Accordingly, we see that this occupying and illegitimate regime has initiated new movements in the Horn of Africa, especially in Somalia and in the recognition of Somaliland.

However, in the story of the Zionist regime's many efforts to recognize Somaliland, we should not ignore the extraordinary geopolitical position of this region. Because Somaliland enjoys a very special position near the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital bottleneck that is considered one of the main arteries of global trade and energy transfer.

Accordingly, for Tel Aviv, an indirect presence in this region means monitoring, influencing, and even interfering in one of the most sensitive maritime routes in the world. In fact, the Zionist regime intends to take more intelligence and security measures against Resistance groups in the region and the Red Sea by being present and strengthening its foothold in Somaliland.

In the meantime, containment of the Axis of Resistance and pressure on Yemen is one of the hidden but important goals of the Zionist regime in approaching Somaliland. In fact, Tel Aviv, considering its global isolation and to redefine its strategic depth in the region, has taken steps to create a security belt around Yemen and, in particular, to contain the role of Ansar Allah in the Red Sea.

The important issue in this regard is that Tel Aviv is trying to gain an upper hand in monitoring the Axis of Resistance's naval and military movements by establishing intelligence and security infrastructure in the Horn of Africa and transferring geopolitical pressure from its northern borders to more distant fronts. An issue that has caused the Zionist regime to launch numerous overt and covert efforts in this African country and to expand its influence.

But on the other side of the field, based on information obtained, the separatists of Somaliland have agreed to the Zionist regime's three conditions for recognition. These conditions include accepting Palestinians in this region, establishing a military base of the Zionist regime on the coast of the Gulf of Aden, and Somaliland joining the agreements on normalizing relations with Israel.

On the other hand, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud emphasized in an interview with Al Jazeera that the issue of the separatists of Somaliland goes back three decades, and no country in the world has recognized them.

The Somali President described the Zionist regime's action against Somaliland as very dangerous for the world, especially the Arabs and Muslims, and stated that the Israelis have been present in Somaliland before, and this issue has only recently become apparent.

Sheikh Mohamud noted that we have always tried to unify the country, but Israel's action after 34 years and the recognition of Somaliland is very strange. Furthermore, this issue can exacerbate existing problems in Somalia.

The Somali president has stated that the international community, especially Arab and African countries, must realize that Israel is transferring its problems with the Palestinians to Somalia. In addition, Tel Aviv is seeking to reach the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea and threatens all commercial and maritime passages, as well as Somalia.

But it is undoubtedly no secret to anyone that Tel Aviv is keen to expand its intelligence and security influence on the African continent. Because the history of the Zionist regime from the past to the present on the African Continent shows that identifying or supporting weak and unofficial actors has often been accompanied by security influence, training forces, selling spy equipment, and establishing intelligence bases.

This is because the actions and movements of the Zionist regime in recognizing Somaliland have numerous regional and international consequences, including creating a serious challenge to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia, creating new tensions in the Horn of Africa, intensifying security competitions in the Red Sea, and the negative reaction of Islamic and African countries.