Houthi Leader Threatens to Target Israeli Presence in Somaliland Region

Abdul Malik al-Houthi, leader of Yemen's Ansar Allah movement, issued a threat on Thursday to target any Israeli presence in the breakaway Somaliland region using all available means. He emphasized that he would not remain idle or wait for others to act against such deployments.

The statement was delivered in a recorded speech broadcast by the group's Al-Masirah satellite channel.

Al-Houthi said there is close monitoring and attention to developments in Somaliland and the enemy’s efforts to establish a foothold aimed at controlling the Gulf of Aden, Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and the Red Sea.

He urged the Islamic nation and countries bordering the Red Sea to adopt a united stance to prevent the enemy from achieving these objectives. Al-Houthi affirmed that Yemen would take the initiative to target any enemy deployment at any time using all available means.

He also called on governments to address the situation in Somalia, care for the Somali people, and support them in confronting Israeli targeting.

On June 15, the president of the breakaway Somaliland region, Abdulrahman Mohamed Abdullahi, inaugurated an embassy in the occupied territories alongside Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar.

In December 2025, Israel officially recognized the Somaliland region, a move rejected by the federal government in Mogadishu and widely criticized regionally and internationally toward Tel Aviv.

Prior to this Israeli recognition, the Somaliland region, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991, had not received any official recognition and operates as an administratively, politically, and security-wise independent entity.