On 26 December 2025, the State of Israel recognised Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state. This decision demonstrates that recognition functions not only as a declaration that confers status upon a secessionist entity under international law, but also as a strategic instrument of foreign policy. Focusing on the dual nature of recognition (both as a declaration of legal status and as a political strategy) the study argues that the question of 'who counts as a state' is less a technical legal decision and more a multi-layered foreign policy practice through which actors pursue regional strategic interests and reopen normative debates. In this context, the article examines Israel’s recognition of the Somaliland secessionist movement within the framework of the Red Sea’s geopolitical priorities (regional order-building, access and corridor security) linked to Somalia’s geostrategic significance. Assuming that recognition is a form of political intervention that reinforces a particular vision of regional order, the study analyses the Israel- Somaliland case by exploring how recognition triggers institutional responses within a geopolitical context and becomes embedded in regional power competition. Ultimately, the article contends that, in the twenty-first century’s evolving international order, state recognition has evolved beyond debates in international law to become a form of strategic recognition that is part of states’ regional geopolitical rivalry. Accordingly, the effects of recognition decisions on regional order must be evaluated not only through normative discourse, but also in conjunction with power and security practices.