News - Yemen: The Leader of the Revolution, Sayyed Abdulmalik Badr al‑Din al‑Houthi, has warned that any Zionist presence in the so‑called “Somaliland” region will be considered a legitimate military target for Yemen’s Armed Forces, describing the Israeli enemy’s recognition of the region as an openly hostile act targeting Somalia, Yemen, the Red Sea, and countries bordering it.

In a statement issued Sunday evening addressing recent developments in Somalia, Sayyed Abdulmalik said the Israeli enemy’s move aims to establish a foothold in Somalia to target the wider region and advance a broader project of fragmenting regional states under the banner of reshaping the Middle East.

He stressed that the Zionist entity’s declaration is null and void, lacking any legal or moral legitimacy, and constitutes an act of aggression by an occupying entity that has no legitimacy even for itself, let alone the authority to recognize others.

Sayyed Abdulmalik warned that the Israeli enemy will seek to expand recognition and cooperation with other parties and countries, using “Somaliland” as a base for hostile activities against Somalia, African states, Yemen, and Arab countries, in a manner that threatens the security of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and fuels further fragmentation across the region.

He called for firm and serious Arab and Islamic positions in support of Somalia and the Somali people, urging pressure on collaborators in the “Somaliland” region and decisive action at the international level, including within international institutions, to confront the Israeli enemy’s plans.

Reaffirming Yemen’s position, Sayyed Abdulmalik said Yemen stands firmly with the Somali people against the Israeli enemy and will take all possible supportive measures, including treating any Israeli presence in “Somaliland” as a military target, considering it an act of aggression against both Somalia and Yemen and a direct threat to regional security.

He stressed that Yemen will not accept any part of Somalia being turned into a foothold for the Israeli enemy at the expense of Somalia’s sovereignty, independence, and the security of its people and the wider region.

The leader also called on countries on both shores of the Red Sea, as well as the Arab and Islamic world, to take practical steps to prevent the Zionist entity from violating Somalia and other Muslim and independent countries, emphasizing that supporting the oppressed Palestinian people remains central, warning that any complacency enables the Israeli enemy to expand its conspiracies against the entire Ummah.

On Friday, the Israeli enemy announced its recognition of the self-declared “Somaliland” region, a move that lacks any international legal basis. 

Somaliland declared unilateral independence from Somalia in 1991, but to date has not been recognized by any UN member state, with Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity remaining internationally affirmed. 

The step followed months of reports indicating contacts involving the Israeli enemy and the US with authorities in Somaliland, as well as other locations, in the context of regional arrangements linked to Gaza. 

The Zionist entity has attempted to portray the move as an extension of the US-sponsored Abraham Accords, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stating he would seek US backing during an upcoming meeting with President Donald Trump.