Somali pirates have seized at least three commercial vessels since late April 2026, including the tanker MT Honour 25, the cement freighter Sward, and the oil tanker Eureka, holding dozens of crew members from Pakistan, Indonesia, and Egypt for ransoms expected to reach millions of dollars. Operating hundreds of kilometres into open waters using advanced equipment, the pirates are believed to have links to both al-Shabaab militants and the Houthi movement in Yemen (an Iran-aligned armed group that has separately been attacking Red Sea shipping), with analysts suggesting Iran benefits strategically from the added pressure on global maritime trade. The resurgence follows years of relative calm during which Somalia's government in Mogadishu moved to curtail international naval patrols in its waters and shipping companies reduced their security measures, leaving commercial vessels increasingly vulnerable.