A CNN investigation claims Somaliland was part of a covert Israeli military network during the Iran war, highlighting Berbera’s growing strategic importance in Horn of Africa geopolitics
HARGEISA — A new CNN investigation has placed the Republic of Somaliland at the center of an alleged covert Israeli military network that operated across the Middle East during the recent conflict with Iran, highlighting the territory’s growing geopolitical significance along one of the world’s most strategic maritime corridors.
According to an exclusive report by CNN journalists Tal Shalev and Tim Lister, Israeli military and intelligence units were secretly deployed to several locations around Iran’s periphery, including Azerbaijan, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, and Somaliland, to support operations against Tehran.
The report, citing four unnamed sources familiar with the matter, says Somaliland provided Israel with “an additional military position,” potentially allowing Israeli aircraft to make stops during long-range missions toward Iran.
“The relationship gave Israel a military position that aircraft could use on long-range missions to Iran that flew around the Arabian Peninsula,” CNN reported.
CNN described the network as a series of covert forward positions that extended Israel’s operational reach by hundreds of miles, enabling intelligence collection, logistical support, and emergency search-and-rescue capabilities during the conflict.
Somaliland’s Strategic Value
The report underscores Somaliland’s increasingly important location overlooking the Gulf of Aden and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes linking the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean.
CNN noted that the United Arab Emirates already maintains a substantial commercial and military presence in the port city of Berbera, a development that has transformed the city into a significant logistics hub in the Horn of Africa.
According to the report, the alleged Israeli position in Somaliland was intended primarily as a contingency facility for long-range air operations rather than a front-line combat base.
CNN said it had contacted Somaliland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.
Part of a Wider Regional Network
The investigation alleges that Israel established multiple covert facilities around Iran’s borders during the conflict.
In Azerbaijan, Israeli special operations forces and intelligence personnel reportedly operated from locations near Iran’s northern frontier, conducting intelligence-gathering missions and drone operations. The Azerbaijani government strongly denied the claims.
“We firmly reject unfounded claims regarding the alleged use of Azerbaijan’s territory for operations against third countries,” an Azerbaijani embassy spokesperson told CNN.
The country’s Media Development Agency later described the allegations as an attempt to create regional tensions and characterized them as “fabricated claims.”
The report also states that Israel maintained secret facilities in Iraq for logistics and possible rescue missions, while deploying an Iron Dome air defense battery to the United Arab Emirates during the conflict.
Recognition and Regional Diplomacy
CNN’s report comes amid growing international discussion about Somaliland’s diplomatic and strategic importance.
The network stated that Israel formally recognized Somaliland in December, a move that, if confirmed, would represent a significant shift in regional diplomacy and potentially deepen security and economic ties between the two sides.
The alleged cooperation also reflects a broader pattern of strategic partnerships emerging across the Horn of Africa, where access to ports, airfields, and maritime routes has become increasingly valuable amid intensifying geopolitical competition.
Analysts quoted by CNN argue that countries bordering Iran and key maritime chokepoints are becoming more deeply intertwined in regional security calculations, whether through formal alliances or discreet security cooperation.
“Azerbaijan is increasingly trying to position itself as a regional power,” Joshua Kucera, a senior analyst at Crisis Group, told CNN. “That includes being a sort of bridge at times between Israel and Arab and other states.”
No Official Israeli Comment
CNN said it had reached out to both the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office and the Israel Defense Forces for comment regarding the reported network of covert sites but had not received an official response.
If the allegations are accurate, the deployment would illustrate how modern regional conflicts increasingly rely on dispersed intelligence, logistics, and support hubs extending well beyond the immediate battlefield.
For Somaliland, the report further reinforces its emerging profile as a strategically located actor in the Horn of Africa, where global powers continue to compete for influence over critical trade routes and security infrastructure.
