Is Somaliland becoming part of Israel’s shadow-war architecture?

Somaliland has emerged as a key element in a broader network of covert Israeli military positions reportedly used during the war with Iran, according to CNN. Citing a source familiar with the matter, CNN reported that Somaliland provided Israel with an additional military position that could allow Israeli aircraft to stop during long-range flights toward Iran. The report said this made Somaliland part of a wider set of sites across the region that helped extend Israel’s operational reach during the conflict.

The CNN report said the Somaliland site was among several covert locations Israel maintained in countries including Azerbaijan, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates. While the Azerbaijan deployments involved elite military, intelligence and drone operations near Iran’s northern border, Somaliland’s role was described more specifically as a logistics point for Israeli aircraft.

Israel, which became the first country to recognise Somaliland at the end of last year, has continued to expand it is relationship with Hargeisa despite mounting criticism of the move from Somalia, regional actors and Muslim-majority countries.

The far-right-led Israeli government has since appointed it is first ambassador to Somaliland, although the envoy will serve on a non-resident basis. Somaliland has also appointed an ambassador to Israel.

In a further controversial step, Somaliland announced that it is first embassy in Israel would be opened in Jerusalem, a disputed city whose status remains one of the most sensitive issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The announcement triggered condemnation from dozens of Muslim-majority countries.

While Somaliland has presented the relationship as a diplomatic breakthrough and a step toward wider international recognition, analysts say Israel’s motivations appear to be driven largely by security interests. These interests are seen as especially important at a time when Israel is fighting on multiple fronts and seeking to strengthen it is presence and partnerships across the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the wider Horn of Africa.

However, the exact nature of the security cooperation between Israel and Somaliland has remained highly ambiguous. Both governments have avoided giving detailed public explanations of what security arrangements, if any, have been agreed. This has left much of the relationship clouded in uncertainty, with limited public knowledge about the scale, scope or purpose of the cooperation.

In recent months, however, reports have begun to shed more light on the growing security dimension of the relationship. Security, rather than ordinary diplomacy or trade, increasingly appears to be at the core of the emerging ties between the two sides.

Recently, Jama Mahamoud Abdullahi, a senior adviser to Somaliland President Abdirahman Abdillahi Irro and a close political ally of the president, told Israeli media that security cooperation between the two sides was already taking place. He described the collaboration as “very significant,” adding that the cooperation “is there” but “is not amplified.” Abdullahi did not specify what kind of security arrangements were in place. His comments have nevertheless added weight to growing speculation that the relationship is not limited to symbolic diplomacy. Instead, they indicate that security coordination may already be underway, even if both sides are choosing to keep it largely out of public view.

Further questions were raised in April when Le Monde reported that Berbera Airport was undergoing major but low-profile developments that could transform it from a mainly civilian airport into a facility with clear military significance. Citing satellite imagery and security sources, the French newspaper said construction activity had intensified between October 2025 and March 2026.

According to the report, the works included buried trenches filled with containers south of the runway. Experts cited by Le Monde said these structures could potentially serve as protected storage sites for ammunition, fuel or other military supplies. The newspaper also identified raised structures that analysts said resembled platforms used for air-defence systems. These features were compared with other Emirati-linked military sites in the region, raising further questions about the possible involvement of foreign security actors in Berbera’s development.

Berbera is already one of Somaliland’s most strategic assets. It is location on the Gulf of Aden, close to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Red Sea shipping lanes, makes it highly valuable for countries seeking influence over one of the world’s most important maritime corridors. Any military upgrade at Berbera, therefore, would have implications beyond Somaliland itself. However, for Israel, maintaining access to security partnerships in this region has long been a strategic security interest. Somaliland’s coastline lies near maritime routes linking the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean. These waters have become increasingly important for Tel Aviv amid it is conflict with Iran and Iran’s allies

The growing security dimension of the relationship is therefore likely to remain controversial. Although Somaliland officials have repeatedly presented the dynamic with Israel as a form of strategic leverage and have sought to push it further, critics argue that the territory risks becoming entangled in wider regional conflicts.

What remains unclear is how far the relationship has gone behind closed doors, especially as much of the available information relies on sources and limited details. However, the growing reports about the centrality of security cooperation between Hargeisa and Tel Aviv point to how Somaliland is increasingly becoming an important asset within Israel’s security and operational architecture.