NATO hasn't been exactly cooperative during the ongoing Operation Epic Fury. The United States has been denied the use of airfields and bases in several NATO nations and territories thereof, prompting some tangible frustration from President Trump. But now one nation, conveniently located on the Horn of Africa, is offering American forces basing and airfield rights to their major port. The nation? Somaliland. No, not Somalia; Somaliland.
A strategically important air base and port have been offered to the U.S. as a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz begins and Iran-backed threats target the key Red Sea choke point of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Top U.S. military officials, including the commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), Gen. Dagvin Anderson, recently visited facilities being offered in Somaliland. Somaliland is a pro-U.S. outpost, having broken away from war-torn Somalia in 1991.
Bab-el-Mandeb, which is Arabic for "gate of tears," has become the main route for oil to ship out of the Middle East to Asia since the Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed. Bloomberg News reported that Saudi Arabia has switched to shipping potentially up to 7 million barrels of oil a day from its port at Yanbu on the Red Sea through the strait. It’s reported that up to 14% of the world’s shipping passes through the 16-mile-wide strait.
Somaliland is, like Somalia, a primarily Sunni Muslim nation, but it has been generally friendlier to the United States than Somalia.
Read More: Here We Go: Trump Announces Major US Action in Strait to Shut Down Iran
CENTCOM Starts the Iranian Blockade Monday - Here Are the Rules and What to Look For
Somaliland is to the northwest of Somalia, and has historically viewed itself as an independent nation. At the moment, its status is somewhat muddled, being a "de facto independent" nation, with formal recognition only by Israel. Somaliland has maintained that status since 1991, though, and maintains a mostly democratic government, with presidential and parliamentary elections. Somaliland scores considerably higher on internationally recognized democracy and civil liberties indices than Somalia. Granted, that's not setting the bar all that high.
What makes this notion interesting is Somaliland's location near the currently challenged sea lanes.
The United States 🇺🇸 has a clear opportunity to establish a strategic foothold in the Republic of Somaliland—anchored in Berbera, a gateway to one of the most critical maritime corridors on earth.
— REPUBLIC OF SOMALILAND (@RepOfSomaliland) March 29, 2026
Berbera is more than geography—it is strategic access.
•A deep-water port along… pic.twitter.com/BeWtJUEI7t
The post continues to list Somaliland's virtues as a base of operations:
A deep-water port along the artery connecting the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean •One of Africa’s longest runways, originally developed as a NASA emergency landing site, highlighting its exceptional length and capability
Immediate proximity to the Bab el-Mandeb chokepoint, a linchpin of global trade This corridor carries immense global weight:
Around 15% of total global trade transits these waters
Nearly 30% of global container traffic moves through this route
Close to 10% of the world’s seaborne petroleum flows across this corridor At a time when supply chains are under pressure and maritime security is paramount, Somaliland offers a rare combination of stability, openness, and strategic alignment. A presence in Berbera is not just an investment—it is a long-term position in the flow of global commerce, energy security, and regional influence.
An agreement for air and naval basing rights in Berbera could be good for both the USA and the Republic of Somaliland. Not only is it a location with vast logistical significance, but such an agreement could well provide a much-needed economic boost to a nation that is trying to move into the modern world, a nation that is in one of the poorest areas on the planet. And not only is Berbera nicely situated to control the Gulf of Aden and the southern reaches of the Red Sea, but it's also a great place from which to interdict Houthi boats attempting to pull something off in the Gulf of Aden or further out in the Arabian Sea. Hurting the Houthis hurts Iran. Hurting Iran helps the rest of the world.
It's an offer that the United States should be taking seriously.
Editor's Note: For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all.
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