Piracy in Gulf of Aden On the Rise — Iran May Be Contributing Factor

Somali pirates have stepped up their activities in the Gulf of Aden — one of the world’s most important trade routes, through which up to 15% of global maritime cargo traffic passes.

This is reported by The War Zone.

This surge in activity is taking place amid ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Iran in the region.

As noted by one of the regional military task forces, Somali pirate groups may be exploiting this situation to their advantage.

Analysts also suggest that Iranian-backed Yemeni Houthi rebels may be providing assistance to the pirates.

In any case, these incidents pose additional risks to the safety of commercial shipping, which is already under pressure due to the U.S.-Israeli standoff with Iran and its repercussions, which are once again beginning to escalate after about a week of lull.

The latest pirate attack reportedly took place on July 6, when pirates attacked the Palau-flagged vessel Lady Naeima.

The previous attack occurred on July 2, when the pirates targeted the MV Golden Arsenal, a bulk carrier flying the flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

In March and April, pirates seized the vessels Honour 25, Eureka, and Sward. Currently, 44 sailors remain in their captivity, critically short of food and drinking water.

Pirate activity is resuming after a lull in 2020–2022, when no attacks were recorded. In 2023, they carried out six attacks, and in 2024, there have already been 22.

In the first three months of 2025 alone, 45 incidents were recorded.

The recent surge in pirate activity has prompted the Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) to raise the threat level in the region.

According to the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), authorities in the semi-autonomous state of Puntland in Somalia warn that cooperation between Somali pirate groups and Iranian-backed Yemeni Houthi rebels poses a serious threat to maritime security in the region.

It was recently reported that the U.S. will cease its support for the United Nations Support Office for Somalia (UNSOS) and the African Union peacekeeping mission (AUSSOM) after its mandate expires in December 2026.

The reason is Somalia’s insufficient progress in combating the al-Shabaab group and its failure to fulfill its security obligations to the mission.