Twenty-three people are missing after armed Somali pirates hijacked an Iranian fishing vessel off the northeastern coast of Somalia. The European Union's Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean received information about the hijacking of the Iranian fishing vessel Azini on October 29, 2026. The vessel was carrying 21 Iranian crew members and two Somali security guards when armed pirates seized control. Their safety and whereabouts remain unknown.
The Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean issued an alert on October 31, stating that the vessel's last reported position was 09°42'N 053°55'E at 4am UTC on October 30. A subsequent update placed Azini at 09°47'N 055°45'E, approaching a maritime traffic lane. This has raised concerns that the pirates could use the vessel as a mothership to conduct further piracy attacks. The European Union's naval mission combating piracy off the Horn of Africa, Operation Atalanta, is investigating the reported hijacking.
The hijacking comes amid a resurgence of Somali piracy that has threatened commercial shipping across the Gulf of Aden and the western Indian Ocean. At least six commercial vessels have been hijacked off Somalia since April 2026, with dozens of seafarers taken hostage. The attacks have included tankers and other vessels operating far from the Somali coastline. This resurgence has reversed years of relative calm following international naval patrols and improved maritime security measures.
One of the most serious incidents was the hijacking of the Palau-flagged oil products tanker MT Honour 25 on April 21. The vessel, carrying 18,500 barrels of oil, remained in pirate hands for months before Puntland security forces mounted a rescue operation on September 29. Five crew members were killed during the operation, while four others were injured. The victims included three Pakistanis, one Indian and one Myanmar national.
Puntland authorities reported that the pirates on board the ship killed five of the crew before the rescue operation began. The Puntland Maritime Police Force subsequently rescued the vessel and arrested 16 suspected pirates. International Maritime Organisation secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez expressed his condolences to the families of those killed, highlighting the increasingly dangerous nature of the renewed attacks.
The IMO reported that a total of 44 seafarers were freed from three hijacked vessels released following security operations in September. However, 22 others remained in captivity aboard another hijacked vessel, the MT Asana. Head of the East Africa Seafarers Assistance Programme Andrew Mwangura warned that the resurgence could have severe consequences, including loss of life, disruption to international trade, and regional instability.
Mwangura cautioned that the diversion of international naval forces to other security hotspots was creating opportunities for pirates to expand their operations. The hijacking of fishing vessels is particularly worrying, as pirates can turn them into motherships to launch attacks on larger merchant ships. The Azini's reported movement towards a busy maritime traffic lane has heightened fears that the vessel could be used to target commercial shipping.
Key points
- Somali pirates hijack Iranian fishing vessel, 23 people missing.
- Resurgence of Somali piracy threatens commercial shipping across the Gulf of Aden and the western Indian Ocean.
- International community warned of severe consequences, including loss of life and disruption to international trade.
