World

Iranian Fishing Ship Hijacked by Somali Pirates Near Puntland Coast

By AP

Somali pirates seized the Iranian fishing vessel Azini on Thursday, October 29, 2026, between Bandar Bayla and Hafun in northeastern Somalia, according to a maritime security officer from the Puntland Maritime Police Force who spoke anonymously to The Associated Press on Sunday, November 1. The hijacked ship carried 21 Iranian crew members and two Somali security guards, and 12 pirates took control of the vessel. The Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean issued an alert on Saturday, October 31, stating that the crew’s safety was unknown and warning that the ship could be used as a “mother ship” to support attacks on commercial vessels. The European Union’s Operation Atalanta is investigating the incident. The centre urged ships in the area to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity.

The seizure follows a resurgence of Somali piracy in the Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean. By August, pirates had hijacked six commercial vessels since April, including the oil products tanker Sibu 1, seized about 136 nautical miles east of al‑Mukalla, Yemen. In September, Puntland authorities reported that pirates killed five crew members of the tanker MT Honour 25 before security forces recovered the vessel, which had been held since April. Sixteen suspected pirates were detained in that case.

The renewed piracy threat adds to the risks for shipping in a region already affected by the Iran war, attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, and threats from Yemen’s Iran‑backed Houthi rebels against Saudi‑linked shipping through Bab el‑Mandeb. These disruptions have lengthened voyages and increased tanker costs. In September, the Associated Press reported that some oil shipments diverted around Africa faced journeys up to a month longer, while daily spot charter rates for tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz had reached $1 million. International naval patrols and improved maritime security have sharply reduced Somali piracy over the past decade, but the latest seizures have renewed concerns about the threat to vessels off the country’s long coastline.