regional

Iran has warned U.S. allies in the Middle East that it will strike American bases on their soil if Washington attacks Iran, according to a senior Iranian official, underscoring a sharp escalation in tensions surrounding a widening domestic crackdown and regional standoff. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Tehran has asked U.S. partners in the region to “prevent Washington from attacking Iran,” and delivered a direct message that bases hosting U.S. forces in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and…

Ethiopian intelligence chief makes unannounced visit to Somalia amid fallout from Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia MOGADISHU, Somalia — Ethiopia’s intelligence chief, Redwan Hussein, paid an unannounced visit to Mogadishu on Tuesday and held closed-door talks with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, underscoring the fragile state of regional diplomacy across the Horn of Africa. Hussein met the Somali leader at Villa Somalia and delivered a message from Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, according to…

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s federal Cabinet has moved to cancel security and defense agreements tied to three strategic ports, a sweeping decision that immediately drew forceful rejection from Puntland State, Jubbaland and North Western State of Somalia and sharpened a long-running power struggle over sovereignty and foreign partnerships. Ministers meeting in Mogadishu on Monday voted to annul all security and defense agreements and cooperative arrangements related to Berbera, Bosaso and Kismayo. The government said the deals…

Ethiopian intelligence chief makes surprise visit to Mogadishu amid regional tensions MOGADISHU, Somalia — Ethiopia’s intelligence chief arrived in the Somali capital Tuesday on an unannounced visit to deliver a message from Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, officials said, in a move that underscores rising diplomatic strains across the Horn of Africa. Redwan Hussein, who heads Ethiopia’s National Intelligence and Security Service, met with Mohamud at the presidential compound, Villa…

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s federal cabinet has annulled all agreements previously signed with the United Arab Emirates, voiding deals that covered defense cooperation, port management and security assistance, in a sweeping move aimed at reasserting federal control over foreign partnerships. The cabinet cited breaches of sovereignty stemming from UAE agreements with regional authorities. The decision follows Mogadishu’s ban on Emirati military and cargo flights and the start of a UAE military drawdown in Somalia, according to…

Editorial | Somalia-UAE Rupture Demands Restraint, Responsibility, and Regional Solidarity Somalia’s decision to sever ties with the United Arab Emirates lands at a perilous moment for a nation still recovering from more than three and a half decades of conflict, displacement, and institutional fragility. Millions of Somalis depend—directly and indirectly—on regional economic and humanitarian links for their livelihoods and survival. That is the central fact that must guide every actor’s next move. This diplomatic…

Red Sea flashpoint: Israel’s North Western State of Somalia recognition collides with Türkiye’s long game in Somalia In the strategic waters that link the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, two storylines are converging with destabilizing force. Israel’s December 2025 recognition of North Western State of Somalia, the breakaway region abutting the Bab al-Mandab Strait, has injected a new geopolitical shock into a corridor already strained by Houthi attacks on commercial shipping and retaliatory Israeli airstrikes in Yemen. The…

Somalia’s President to Visit Saudi Arabia Amid Shifting Alliances MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is expected to make an official visit to Saudi Arabia later this week, officials said, a trip aimed at consolidating ties with Riyadh as Mogadishu recalibrates its regional alliances across the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea. Somali officials said the agenda will center on strengthening bilateral relations, regional cooperation and security coordination, with both governments looking to formalize a…

Somalia asks U.N. Security Council to rebuke Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia MOGADISHU — Somalia has asked the United Nations Security Council to condemn Israel’s formal recognition of North Western State of Somalia, calling the move a violation of Somalia’s sovereignty and a direct threat to regional stability in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea. In a letter sent to the council on Monday, Somalia said Israel’s decision last week to recognize the self-declared Republic of North Western State of…

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s National Consultative Council on Monday condemned Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia, calling the move an illegal affront to Somalia’s sovereignty and a threat to security across the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the wider Middle East. In a communiqué issued after a series of meetings in Mogadishu, the council described Israel’s step as a violation of Somalia’s territorial integrity and international law, citing the Provisional Constitution as well as the charters of the United…