Israel is exploring the possibility of establishing a base on the coast of Somaliland, at the mouth of the Red Sea, that would allow it to strike the Houthis in Yemen from a short distance away, eliminating the need for lengthy flights, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday.

According to the report, a group of Israeli security officials visited Somaliland in June, even before Israel’s official recognition of Somaliland in December 2025, and examined the coastline to identify a suitable location for such a base. The group spent several days surveying different locations along the coastal strip, which lies only about 260 kilometers from Yemen. One of the sites being considered is a high-elevation area located about 100 kilometers west of the port city of Berbera, where the United Arab Emirates maintains an air base and port facility.

An official in the Somaliland presidential office confirmed to Bloomberg that Israel and Somaliland intend to establish a strategic security partnership that could include Israel’s establishment of a base, possibly a covert one, on its coast. In addition, two officials said that Somaliland would permit Israel to use it territory to gather intelligence and carry out operations against the Houthis.

Amid Israel’s war with Iran—and despite the Houthis not yet fully joining the conflict beyond issuing threats—Israel wants to ensure a presence in the Gulf of Aden region. Ari Heistein, a research fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, said that Israel’s ties with Somaliland are significant because the Houthis are expanding their presence along the Horn of Africa. If the current war weakens Iran’s ability to fund the Houthis, the region could become an even more critical strategic arena for the terror group.

In December, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced Israel’s recognition of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state. Shortly afterward, over 12 senior Somaliland military officials arrived in Israel for training as part of efforts to deepen security ties. Additionally, sources familiar with the details said that Israeli officials rented fortified rooms on an upper floor of a hotel in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland.

Israel’s recognition of Somaliland followed years of behind‑the‑scenes work by the Mossad, which is responsible for maintaining covert ties with countries that lack formal diplomatic relations with Israel. The Mossad had been active in Somaliland for many years, and the relationships built between its leaders and senior Somaliland officials helped pave the way for the recognition agreements.

Somaliland declared its separation from Somalia in 1991, during the civil war that plunged Somalia into state collapse. Since then, it has operated as an independent country in practice, though it has never received formal international recognition. Until now, Taiwan—also outside the UN—has been the only entity to maintain official diplomatic relations with it. Ethiopia also engages with Somaliland commercially and diplomatically, but without granting it formal recognition.

Somaliland has a population of roughly six million, all of whom are Muslim. Somalia continues to view the region as part of its sovereign territory, while Somaliland’s president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, has repeatedly emphasized that gaining international recognition is one of his government’s highest priorities.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)