An analysis by Iranian journalist Tina Ghazimorad argues that Somaliland president’s Israel visit reflects the emergence of a strategic corridor linking Israel, India, the UAE, Greece and Somaliland, with implications for Red Sea security, trade corridors and regional geopolitics
JERUSALEM — Somaliland’s recent diplomatic outreach to Israel is being interpreted by some analysts as part of a broader geopolitical realignment stretching from the Horn of Africa to the Mediterranean and South Asia.
In an analysis published in The Jerusalem Post on June 22, Iranian journalist and former ManotoTV editor-in-chief Tina Ghazimorad argued that President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi’s visit to Israel reflects the emergence of a new strategic framework linking Israel, India, the United Arab Emirates, Greece and Somaliland.
According to Ghazimorad, shifting regional dynamics, expanding security partnerships and growing concerns over maritime security are driving the formation of what she describes as the “Greece-Israel-UAE-India-Somaliland axis.”
“The visit of the Somaliland president to Israel was a historic moment,” Ghazimorad wrote. “The geopolitical map of West Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean is being radically redrawn, shifting away from traditional, non-aligned posturing toward an explicit, hard-nosed security calculus.”
India’s Expanding Regional Role
Central to the analysis is India’s evolving foreign policy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Ghazimorad argues that New Delhi is increasingly positioning itself as a major architect of a transcontinental security and economic corridor connecting South Asia, the Gulf, the Eastern Mediterranean and East Africa.
She points to Modi’s February 2026 visit to Israel, during which he described India’s relationship with Israel as being based on “full conviction,” as evidence of a strategic shift in Indian diplomacy.
“Modi’s ‘full conviction’ doctrine marked the definitive end of India’s legacy foreign policy ambiguity,” Ghazimorad wrote.
The analysis further highlights a series of defense, cyber-security and intelligence agreements signed between India and the United Arab Emirates in May 2026, arguing that these agreements deepen integration between New Delhi, Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv.
“The technology and intelligence loops being built link New Delhi, Abu Dhabi, and Tel Aviv in a real-time defensive posture,” she wrote.
Somaliland’s Strategic Significance
A major focus of the article is Somaliland’s geographic position along one of the world’s most important maritime corridors.
Located along the Gulf of Aden and near the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, Somaliland occupies a strategic position on the route connecting the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea and the Mediterranean.
“Somaliland’s strategic oversight of Bab-el-Mandeb is critical to securing this vital maritime route,” Ghazimorad argued.
The author identifies the Port of Berbera as a potentially important logistics hub within the proposed network, particularly for trade serving Ethiopia and other markets in East Africa.
“Furthermore, the Port of Berbera serves as this axis’s ultimate gateway into the African market, particularly for landlocked Ethiopia,” she wrote.
Ghazimorad also argues that growing security cooperation between Somaliland and Israel could strengthen maritime monitoring capabilities around the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and contribute to regional stability.
“An established Israeli presence in Somaliland significantly enhances strategic oversight and guarantees the security of the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait,” she wrote.
Greece’s Role in the Eastern Mediterranean
The analysis also identifies Greece as a key component of the proposed alignment.
According to Ghazimorad, longstanding tensions between Greece and Turkey have encouraged Athens to deepen defense, intelligence and energy cooperation with Israel and regional partners.
She describes the emerging framework as both a security arrangement and an economic corridor designed to secure critical trade routes while offering an alternative to competing infrastructure initiatives.
“The Greece-Israel-UAE-India-Somaliland axis functions as both a shield and an economic bypass corridor,” she wrote.
The article points to military cooperation between Greece and Israel, logistics infrastructure connecting Gulf ports with Mediterranean gateways and efforts to enhance maritime security across key commercial routes.
Vision for a Future Democratic Iran
Perhaps the most ambitious element of the analysis concerns Iran’s future role in regional connectivity.
While the current framework is presented as a defensive arrangement, Ghazimorad argues that long-term economic integration across Eurasia would ultimately require the participation of a democratic Iran.
“The axis is structurally incomplete without Iran, and it can only be completed by a free Iran,” she wrote.
According to the author, political transformation in Tehran could unlock major trade opportunities connecting the Persian Gulf, Central Asia, Europe and the Indian Ocean through transportation corridors centered on Chabahar Port.
“A free Iran changes everything,” Ghazimorad argued. “By transitioning from an aggressive regional spoiler into a stable, sovereign state, Iran transforms into the ultimate bridge.”
She contends that such a development would strengthen economic links between India, Central Asia, the Gulf and Europe while reducing dependence on existing geopolitical power centers.
A New Regional Order
The article concludes that security concerns, economic competition and technological cooperation are increasingly replacing traditional non-alignment as the dominant forces shaping regional diplomacy.
“We are witnessing the death of fence-sitting in Asian diplomacy,” Ghazimorad wrote.
She further argues that the alignment connecting Greece, Israel, the UAE, India and Somaliland has evolved beyond diplomatic symbolism into a strategic framework with long-term ambitions.
“Today, it stands as a defensive wall; tomorrow, with the integration of a free Iran, it will become the most powerful economic and strategic highway in human history,” she wrote.
While many of the analysis’s conclusions remain speculative and reflect the author’s personal assessment rather than official government policy, the article highlights growing international interest in Somaliland’s strategic location, the importance of Red Sea maritime security and the evolving geopolitical competition shaping the future of the Horn of Africa and the broader Eurasian region.
