Tehran (Somalia Today) – Iran on Tuesday condemned Israel’s appointment of a diplomatic envoy to Somaliland region, calling it a “flagrant violation” of Somalia’s sovereignty in a dispute that has stirred anger across Africa and the Middle East.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the move formed part of what he called Israel’s “ongoing conspiracy to destabilise Islamic nations and sow division among regional countries”.
“This arbitrary action is a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter and international law,” Baghaei said. “It stands as a direct assault on the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of a sovereign state.”
He also called on the United Nations, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the African Union to confront what he described as Israeli lawlessness, expansionism and interference in the internal affairs of other nations.
Israel last week named veteran diplomat Michael Lotem as its first non-resident envoy to Somaliland, months after becoming the first country to formally recognise the breakaway region as an independent state in December 2025.
That decision deepened a diplomatic rift that began when Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar visited Hargeisa in January, prompting an immediate protest from Mogadishu.
Regional backlash
The African Union on April 19 said it “strongly condemns” Israel’s reported decision to appoint a diplomatic envoy to the “so-called Somaliland” and warned that any unilateral recognition of the territory was “null and void”.
The OIC issued a similar rebuke, calling the move “a violation of the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia”.
Somalia has repeatedly rejected any foreign recognition of Somaliland, saying direct diplomatic engagement with the territory breaches its sovereignty and undermines the country’s unity.
Israel’s recognition in December drew condemnation from Mogadishu and criticism from a number of African and Middle Eastern governments, as Somalia moved to rally support from regional allies.
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 after the collapse of the central government. It has since run its own authorities, currency and security forces, but it failed to secure formal recognition from any UN member state before Israel’s move.
The territory occupies a strategic position at the junction of the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea, with Berbera port offering access to some of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
That location has given Somaliland growing geopolitical value as regional and outside powers compete for influence along the Red Sea corridor, where maritime security has become more important since attacks on shipping by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
