US Seeks New East African Military Base to Counter Iran

The strategic importance of maritime routes through the Red Sea is being highlighted amid escalating tensions with Iran.

In this context, the US is seeking to secure a new military base in East Africa to counter Iran, with major port and airfield facilities in Somaliland being mentioned as potential candidates.

US Africa Command (AFRICOM) Commander, US Air Force General Dagvin Anderson, visited Somaliland and met with the president on November 26, 2025. During the meeting, an air force base and port facilities located in a strategically vital area were proposed to the US. Somaliland is a country that declared independence from Somalia in 1991.

The Bab el-Mandeb strait is a 16-mile-wide sea passage connecting the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. This proposal comes amid rising threats of Hormuz Strait blockades and Iran-backed forces targeting the Bab el-Mandeb strait. The strait is a major route for Middle Eastern oil exports to Asia, with up to 7 million barrels of oil transported daily through the Red Sea from the port of Yanbu. Securing this strait, through which 14% of global maritime trade passes, could significantly impact global trade flows.

Somaliland's Port of Berbera is a deep-water port and boasts one of the longest runways in Africa. This is assessed to have 'huge strategic potential' for conducting sea and air operations.