TEHRAN, Iran

Iran strongly condemned on Saturday Israel’s recognition of the breakaway region of Somaliland as a “flagrant violation of Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Criticizing the Israeli move as “malicious,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei emphasized the importance of “preserving the national sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity” of Somalia.

Baghaei asserted that the recognition aligns with Israel’s broader policy “to destabilize countries in the region and exacerbate insecurity in the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa.”

Expressing support for the firm condemnation by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the African Union (AU), Baghaei called on the international community to take “decisive action” to “neutralize this expansionist and threat-creating move by the occupying regime.”

On Friday, Israel became the first country to officially recognize Somaliland, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announcing that the two sides had signed a joint declaration establishing full diplomatic relations “in the spirit of the Abraham Accords.”

In response, Somalia’s government denounced the move as an “attack” on its sovereignty and an “unlawful action,” reaffirming Somaliland as an “inseparable” part of its territory.

The Israeli move has been widely condemned by several countries, including Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Qatar.

Notably, Somalia was among the countries that severed diplomatic ties with Iran in January 2016 following a mob attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran.

In March 2024, a year after Iran and Saudi Arabia restored diplomatic relations through a China-brokered deal, Somalia announced its readiness to mend ties with Iran.

In August of the same year, the top diplomats of Somalia and Iran met on the sidelines of the OIC summit in Jeddah and agreed to revive and deepen diplomatic relations.