The age of pirates isn't over: Modern-day Somali raiders are hijacking oil tankers, holding sailors hostage and demanding millions in ransom

Equipped with guns, the current generation of Somali pirates has taken to the high seas and has been hijacking commercial vessels by herding sailors into cramped quarters and holding hostages for several months before paying huge sums in ransom. This comes after several years of efforts by international navies to suppress acts of piracy along the coast of Somalia.

The seizure of the Honour 25 clearly demonstrates the dangers that accompany such situations.

The oil tanker was heading to Somalia when gunmen seized control of the ship and took the 17-member crew hostage on April 21, 2026. The crew was held hostage for several months as efforts were made for their release. However, while Somali security personnel attempted to liberate the vessel in September, five members of the crew lost their lives.


This assault has once again raised the issue of the possible return of piracy in Somalia against the backdrop of the Iranian war affecting maritime activity and military focus on other waters.

CNN's article focuses on the issue of how changing priorities in security, valuable cargo, and the possibility of making money through ransom might provide pirates with new opportunities for an attack.

An ordinary voyage turned into a five-month hostage ordeal

The Honour 25 was transporting about 2,700 tonnes of diesel oil from Oman to Mogadishu, the capital city of Somalia, when the attack by the pirates occurred.

In accordance with CNN reports, Syed Hussain Yousuf, second engineer on board, received an alert regarding the possible pirate attack prior to the gunfire being opened. Within minutes, armed individuals got on board and ordered the crew members to assemble on the bridge.

The Honour 25 had seventeen crew members on board.

Most of the time, the sailors were confined to the bridge, which is described as a very small area where the crew members had to stay seated and move around only if led by the kidnappers for toilet use.

Yasir Khan, the chief engineer aboard the ship, survived after being shot in the leg.

In an interview with CNN, he mentioned that there was no warning system, no security guards, and no other safety precautions against piracy. He also noted that the ship's engines and generators were in poor shape.

The pirates demanded a multi-million-dollar ransom for the release of the ship. The negotiations were ongoing when the crew was held hostage, but the crisis was resolved by a security operation conducted on September 29.

According to the Somali authorities, five people among the crew were killed before the ship. There have been some conflicting reports about how they died.

Why Somali pirates are returning to the high seas

Piracy in Somalia had become a serious menace to international shipping in the last years of the decade between 2000 and 2010.

There had been attacks where gangs hijacked cargo ships and took their crews hostage, and it led to the disruption of shipping through the western part of the Indian Ocean.

The reduction in such attacks was not because the factors that fostered the act ceased to exist. CNN noted that economic instability in Somalia, together with new openings arising from the Iran war, has encouraged pirates to attack vessels again.

The war has made the military concentrate on the Persian Gulf and the Bab el-Mandeb strait due to the Houthis' attacks on commercial vessels.

According to CNN, there is less military presence around Somalia due to the shift of the US military's attention to the region.

The conflict has also led to increased prices for oil. The tankers loaded with oil provide the possibility of collecting money as a ransom from pirates, which makes them attractive targets.

Honour 25 is not the only ship involved in the wave. According to CNN, there have been cases when six ships were seized at once at some point during the summer, with about 90 crew members in captivity.

Another organisation has voiced its worries over the results of the hijacking: the International Maritime Organization. According to information from October, 44 seafarers were released from three ships, including Honour 25, with five of them perishing during the rescue operations.

How piracy threatens shipping costs far beyond Somalia

Beyond those who are confronted at gunpoint, there is the risk to the shipping process, which may be disturbed and made more costly because ships will need to reroute to navigate the seas safely.

According to CNN, rising insurance premiums have followed from increased security risks for ships in transit. In some cases, ships have needed to travel via Africa to avoid perilous waters and have incurred additional costs in fuel and time to do so.

These costs may eventually make their way to consumers, since oil and other products rely on shipping systems and additional costs of transport and insurance could increase delivery fees.

There may be vulnerabilities of smaller firms. In this case, CNN reported concerns regarding ships that do not have the same security measures as larger ships. As far as the Honour 25 ship is concerned, there was no security on board when the pirates boarded the ship.

Piracy is, therefore, more than just a story about armed men boarding commercial vessels. Piracy is about the vulnerability of the vessel, the funds that can be raised through ransom and the abilities of international security forces to ensure that the major shipping routes remain safe.

The recovery of the Honour 25 meant an end to a long period of imprisonment, but it took a very high price to pay. As the war in Iran affects the security of the seas and the economics of seafaring, the resurgence of piracy is another problem that needs to be addressed.