Foreign media reports claim that Israel operated from Somaliland during the war with Iran, highlighting the enormous strategic importance of the territory for Israeli operations across the Red Sea and toward the Persian Gulf.
According to reports examined by the Israeli Nziv website, Israel established a network of secret sites in several countries, including Azerbaijan, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and Somaliland. The Somaliland facility reportedly allowed Israeli aircraft to make intermediate stops and refuel while traveling to or returning from missions linked to Iran.
These claims have not been officially confirmed by Israel.
Somaliland occupies one of the most strategically valuable locations in the region. It lies on the Gulf of Aden, close to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and directly across from Yemen, where Iran-backed Houthi terrorists control significant territory. It also sits beside the major shipping route connecting the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean.