“Israel” urges US to restore UAE influence in Yemen’s Socotra, Mayyun Islands
SOCOTRA, April 20 (YPA) – “Israel” has requested the administration of US President Donald Trump to support the restoration of Emirati military influence over several strategic Yemeni islands, to serve as potential bases in any confrontation with Iran, political and media sources familiar with the matter said.
Media reports said “Israel” had urged Washington to strengthen the United Arab Emirates’ military presence in the Socotra archipelago east of the Gulf of Aden, as well as on Mayyun Island in the Bab al-Mandab Strait in the southern Red Sea, in a move seen as aimed at countering Iran in the event of a broader regional escalation.
The reports added that the UAE continues to exert security control in Socotra, maintaining financial support to allied factions and local figures, and has not fully withdrawn from the island despite tensions with Saudi Arabia in Hadramout last December.
The UAE had previously established a joint military and intelligence facility on Abd al-Kuri Island, part of Yemen’s Socotra archipelago, in collaboration with “Israel” in late 2020.
Meanwhile, the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI) said in a report issued in November 2023 that the Israeli-made sensors had been deployed on Abd al-Kuri Island to monitor missiles and drones launched by Sanaa forces following their involvement in Red Sea operations linked to the Gaza war.
Meanwhile, a report published earlier this month by the French newspaper Le Monde said the United Arab Emirates is building a joint military base with “Israel” in the city of Berbera in Somaliland, near the Gulf of Aden.
According to the report, extensive excavation has been underway since October 2025, including the construction of trenches and underground facilities believed to be designed for storing ammunition or fuel, as well as platforms that could be used to deploy air defense systems.
The report also noted repeated visits to Berbera port by US military delegations affiliated with AFRICOM, alongside the presence of Israeli military teams in both Berbera and Hargeisa, the regional capital—pointing to an advanced level of military and security cooperation.
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