Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the president of Somalia, has accused Israel of establishing a military base on the coast of Somaliland, directly opposite Yemen, as part of what he called a "regional conspiracy."
The Somali president made the claim forcefully, and this is not the first time he has raised the allegation. Several weeks ago, during a United Nations General Assembly session, he declared that "Somalia will not allow an Israeli presence on its territory", a reference to Somalia's position that Somaliland, a self-declared independent region, remains part of Somali sovereign territory.
According to Sheikh Mohamud, Somaliland and Israel are jointly advancing the establishment of the Israeli base, which is expected to be located in the area of Berbera port. The site sits directly across from the Yemeni coast and the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a critical chokepoint for global shipping that has been targeted repeatedly by Iranian-backed Houthi forces operating from Yemen.
The Somali president framed the move as part of a "joint regional conspiracy" involving a broader effort to build a unified front against Iran in cooperation with Gulf states. He did not provide evidence for the claim, and Israel has not commented on the allegation.
