HARGEISA — Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi “Irro” conducted a high-level telephone conversation on Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The discussion centered on regional security amid the expanding, volatile conflict between Iran and various Middle Eastern nations, according to a report by the Somaliland Foreign Ministry.
Prioritizing Civilian Safety
The ministry officially confirmed in a statement shared across social media platforms that President Irro and PM Netanyahu engaged in extensive dialogue regarding pressing security matters affecting the broader Red Sea and Gulf of Aden corridors.
According to the diplomatic statement, the Somaliland leader clearly conveyed his administration’s deep apprehensions concerning current geopolitical developments. He firmly stressed to the Israeli Prime Minister that safeguarding civilian lives must remain the absolute foremost consideration during any military escalations.
This engagement follows previous diplomatic positioning where Hargeisa actively denounced Iran’s retaliatory missile attacks targeting American military installations and allied assets situated in various Gulf nations, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia.
Deepening Ties and Security Risks
The capital city of Hargeisa continues to cultivate increasingly close, public ties with Tel Aviv. In a highly controversial geopolitical shift last year, Israel became the first UN member nation to officially acknowledge Somaliland’s sovereignty as a breakaway territory from northern Somalia.
Furthermore, intelligence reports and regional leaders indicate that Israel intends to establish a strategic military base in the Somaliland region. This proposed expansion of Israel’s military footprint proceeds despite facing severe, direct threats from both Yemeni Houthi rebels and Al-Shabaab militants. Both extremist networks have publicly warned they would consider any Israeli installation a valid military target if these basing plans move forward, a prospect that has also drawn fierce opposition from the Federal Government in Mogadishu.
