US Eyes Somaliland Base as Strategic Move Against Iran, Houthis in Key Lanes
U.S. military leaders have recently intensified engagement with Somaliland amid growing Red Sea tensions. The moves follow offers by Somaliland to host air and naval facilities at Berbera port.
Senior U.S. visit
U.S. Africa Command leader Gen. Dagvin Anderson traveled to Somaliland on Nov. 26, 2025. He met President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi in Hargeisa and visited the port at Berbera.
Filmogaz.com obtained video and images showing Anderson with senior officers inspecting facility areas. Somaliland officials declined to comment when contacted.
Berbera’s strategic features
Somaliland’s official pages describe Berbera as a deep-water port with one of Africa’s longest runways. The runway is said to have been developed originally as a NASA emergency landing strip.
Local leaders have offered the site for U.S. use. Analysts note Berbera’s location could support air and sea operations across the southern Red Sea.
Regional maritime context
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait has grown more important for Middle East oil flows. Bloomberg reported Saudi Arabia may be shipping up to 7 million barrels a day from Yanbu through the Red Sea.
About 14 percent of global shipping moves through a 16-mile-wide strategic strait. Attacks and hijackings have raised concern over transit security in the area.
Houthi activity and warnings
Iran-backed Houthi actions have targeted Red Sea routes. The IRGC-linked Tasmin agency warned on March 21 that insecurity in straits, including Bab el-Mandeb, remains an option for the Resistance Front.
Notable incidents include the Houthi takeover of the Galaxy Leader cargo vessel in November 2023. U.S. naval vessels have transited the strait in response to threats.
Diplomatic and basing debate
Recognition of Somaliland remains contentious. Israel recognized Somaliland last year, while the U.S. State Department reaffirmed support for Somalia’s territorial integrity.
In August, President Donald Trump said he was looking into recognition and possible resettlement of Gazans in Somaliland. A State Department spokesperson stated that the United States continues to recognize the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia, which includes the territory of Somaliland.
U.S. posture and local reactions
An AFRICOM spokesperson told reporters the U.S. is not pursuing new basing. They said such actions would not align with the current America First security framework.
Still, analysts note Somaliland has offered use of its facilities without immediate recognition. That could make informal arrangements more feasible.
Strategic calculations
Former UK diplomat Edmund Fitton-Brown said Berbera has substantial strategic potential for sea and air operations. He also noted Djibouti, where the U.S. has a Red Sea presence, shows growing reluctance to enforce measures against the Houthis.
Baraa Shaiban of RUSI warned that formal U.S. recognition could upset key Arab partners, including Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Somaliland’s Washington representative, Bashir Goth, told a forum that monthly AFRICOM delegations have visited Hargeisa.
The US eyes Somaliland base as a strategic move against Iran and to counter Houthi activity in key lanes. Policymakers must weigh operational gains against diplomatic risks in the Horn of Africa.
