Somali pirates hijacked the Iranian fishing vessel Azini on October 29, 2026, off northeastern Somalia, taking 21 Iranian crew members and two Somali guards hostage. The European Union's Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean warned the ship could serve as a floating base for further attacks on commercial shipping lanes. The incident highlights a resurgence of Somali piracy alongside shipping disruptions from the Iran war and Houthi threats.
Hijacking of the fishing vessel Azini
- ▪The Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean reported on November 1, 2026, that the safety of the 23 crew members on the Azini, hijacked on October 29, 2026, remained unknown
- ▪The European Union's naval Operation Atalanta initiated an investigation into the October 2026 hijacking of the Iranian fishing vessel Azini
- ▪The Iranian vessel Azini, hijacked on October 29, 2026, was carrying 23 people, including 21 Iranian crew members and two Somali security guards
- ▪Twelve Somali pirates hijacked the Iranian fishing vessel Azini
Security warnings after the Azini hijacking
- ▪The Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean issued an alert urging ships in the area to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity following the hijacking of the Azini on October 29, 2026
- ▪The Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean warned that the fishing vessel Azini, hijacked on October 29, 2026, was approaching commercial shipping lanes and could be used by pirates as a mother ship for further attacks
Other recent pirate attacks
- ▪Somali pirates hijacked six commercial vessels between April 2026 and August 2026 across the Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean, including the oil products tanker Sibu 1 off al-Mukalla, Yemen
- ▪In September 2026, Puntland authorities reported that pirates killed five crew members of the tanker MT Honour 25 before security forces recovered the vessel held since April 2026, detaining 16 suspected pirates
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