By HAN News Desk
TEHRAN — Iran on Tuesday strongly condemned what it described as the illegal entry of Israel’s foreign minister into Somaliland, calling the visit a clear violation of Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said in a statement that the visit amounted to “a blatant breach of international law” and an infringement on the sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Somalia, a United Nations–recognized state.
Baghaei said the international community has repeatedly reaffirmed the importance of respecting Somalia’s unity and territorial integrity, warning that actions undermining those principles threaten regional stability.
He accused Israel of pursuing policies aimed at fragmenting Somalia, describing the move as a dangerous precedent that undermines international relations and strikes at the legal and moral foundations of the United Nations Charter.
The Iranian official also called for broad international cooperation, urging Islamic countries, African nations, and the wider international community to work together to prevent what he described as continued erosion of Somalia’s sovereignty.
Somalia’s federal government has repeatedly stated that it does not recognize Somaliland as an independent state, despite the region’s self-declared independence in 1991, and has warned against foreign engagement conducted outside the authority of the government in Mogadishu.
