Piracy rises off Somalia again amid concerns over Iran war

By Shola LawalFriday May 1, 2026

A fresh wave of hijackings off Somalia is rattling shipping lanes and reviving memories of the piracy crisis that once made the Horn of Africa one of the world’s most dangerous maritime corridors.

At least three vessels have been targeted this week, according to reports, prompting fears that the region may be sliding back toward the turmoil that plagued global trade in the early to mid-2000s before an international naval response helped bring the threat under control.

According to the World Bank, the annual impact of piracy off Somalia on the global economy was as high as $18bn during the height of the crisis.

Even after that crackdown, sporadic hijackings never fully disappeared, and a number of incidents have already been recorded in the area this year.

What has stirred alarm now is the speed of the attacks and the number of tankers caught up in them over a short period.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which issues security guidance to shipping companies, said this week that the threat level around Somalia’s coastline had been raised to “substantial” and advised vessels to “transit with caution”.

Here’s what we know about the recent hijackings:

What has happened?

Three to four merchant ships are believed to have been seized near the Somali coast since April 20.

The European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) said it was notified by the Puntland State Maritime Police Force (PMPF) about the hijacking of the fishing vessel Alkhary 2 on April 20.

Media reports said the Somali-flagged fishing boat was taken around the coast in northern Somalia before later being released.

The following day, EUNAVFOR reported that another vessel, Honour 25, had been captured in the same area. According to media reports, six pirates boarded the tanker, which was carrying about 18,000 barrels of oil, off the coast of the semi-autonomous Puntland State region. The ship is believed to be anchored between the fishing villages of Xaafuun and Bandarbeyla, with five additional pirates later coming aboard.

The vessel had initially headed to the United Arab Emirates but turned back toward Mogadishu on April 2 after failing to pass into the Strait of Hormuz. The BBC reported that 17 crew members were on board, including nationals from Pakistan, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka and Myanmar.

On Tuesday, EUNAVFOR said its patrol assets had surrounded the vessel.

On April 22, the PMPF said Alkhary 2 had been freed and all crew were safe, but that the “Pirate Action Group” remained aboard Honour 25.

Then on April 26, EUNAVFOR said it was tracking the hijacking of yet another merchant ship, the Sward.

UKMTO said the Sward had been hijacked 6 nautical miles (11km) northeast of the Somali coastal town of Garacad. The British maritime security group Vanguard said the ship’s 15 crew members included two Indian nationals and 13 Syrians.

The next day, Puntland State officials said a vessel carrying cement and flying the flag of St Kitts and Nevis had been seized off Garacad in Puntland State. Authorities believe it was the Sward. They said the vessel had departed Egypt for Mombasa in Kenya, and that nine armed pirates were on board.

Who is behind these hijackings, and what’s behind the new surge?

It remains unclear which groups are carrying out the attacks. In previous years, local fishermen and a range of armed groups, including those linked to ISIL (ISIS) and al-Qaeda, have been implicated in hijackings.

Analysts say one possible factor is the redeployment of antipiracy patrols since 2023 to the Red Sea, where they have been responding to attacks by Yemen-based Houthi fighters in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the narrow passage linking the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.

More recently, some navies that once played a key role in suppressing Somali piracy have also been pulled toward escorting ships seeking access to the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran and the United States have blocked.

Experts also say soaring fuel prices amid the US-Israel war on Iran may have made tanker targets such as Honour 25 more attractive to pirates.

Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, has climbed by more than 50 percent since the war began and is now above $110 a barrel.

What is the history of piracy on the coast of Somalia?

Piracy has long been entrenched off Somalia’s coast, in the Gulf of Aden and farther into the Indian Ocean. During the early 2000s, attacks surged as the Somali government collapsed during the Somalia-Ethiopia war of 2006-09.

Thousands of seafarers were seized or attacked, while pirates demanded multimillion-dollar ransoms. The World Bank estimated that between 2005 and 2012, ransom payments totaled between $339m and $413m.

In 2011 alone, about 212 attacks were recorded, one of the highest annual totals on record.

An international coalition made up of NATO’s Operation Ocean Shield, EUNAVFOR Operation Atalanta, the Combined Maritime Task Force and Somali authorities then began patrolling the waters. Those patrols, backed by a 47-country naval partnership, sharply reduced the number of attacks.

EUNAVFOR, together with Somali authorities, continues to oversee antipiracy operations in the region.