Pirates

Red Sea shipping drops after Houthi attacks on Saudi oil sites, data shows

Eleven commodity vessels passed through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Sunday, the lowest level in months, the data showed.

A Houthi follower rises a weapon as he attends a rally marking one year of Saudi-led air strikes, in Yemen's capital Sanaa.
An Indian soldier stands guard next to captured Somali pirates after they were brought in for prosecution by the Indian Navy, at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai, India, March 23, 2024.

Merchant ship hijacked off Yemen now held by Somali pirates, residents say

FILE PHOTO: A cargo ship is from Lido beach in central Mogadishu, on April 25, 2025 in Mogadishu, Somalia.

Somali terror groups could tighten Hormuz chokehold through Bab-el-Mandeb piracy, experts say

Somalis react after Israel became the first country to formally recognise the self-declared Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state, in Mogadishu, Somalia, December 27, 2025

The Red Sea strategy: What does Israel stand to gain from recognizing Somaliland? - analysis


India sends warship after hijacking of Liberian-flagged vessel in Arabian Sea

The ship sent a message on the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations portal saying five to six unknown armed personnel had boarded on the evening of January 4, the Indian navy statement said.

 The domes of the Taj Mahal hotel are seen in front of the Arabian Sea in Mumbai December 22, 2008.

Commercial ship still hijacked off Somali coast - sources

The Ruen last reported its position off the coast of Somalia on Monday at 1810 GMT, according to data from ship tracking and maritime analytics provider MarineTraffic.

 A ship is pictured at the Red Sea port of Hodeidah, Yemen August 5, 2018.

Iranian piracy in the Persian gulf is a growing threat - analysis

Iran is increasing its threats to shipping and also seeking to harass US naval forces in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. 

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) operating in an unsafe and unprofessional manner in close proximity to patrol coastal ship USS Sirocco (PC 6) and expeditionary fast transport USNS Choctaw County (T-EPF 2) in the Strait of Hormuz, June 20.

Archaeologists find coal on Blackbeard's ship. Where did it come from?

Blackbeard and his crew cruised through the Caribbean, gaining notoriety and acquiring treasures that remain undiscovered to this day.

 The Queen Anne's Revenge (Illustration)

Are there Jewish pirates of the Caribbean in Jamaica?

Were there Jewish pirates in the Caribbean? Aye. But were the Jews lying beneath the three century-old tombstones in Kingston, Jamaica, decorated with skull and crossbones pirates? Nay.

 Sephardi tombstones in the Hunt’s Bay Cemetery in Jamaica are adorned with skulls and crossbones.

Pirates take six hostages from container ship in Gulf of Guinea

The container ship was sailing under a Liberian flag, the spokesperson said, but the name or operator of the vessel were not immediately clear.

A container ship sails at the Suez Canal, in Ismailia, Egypt March 31, 2021. Suez Canal Authority/Handout via REUTERS

Iran navy thwarts 'pirate attack' on oil tanker in Gulf of Aden - report

Four boats, each carrying six armed pirates, attempted to hijack the tanker, which was heading for the Bab-el Mandeb Strait. They turned back after an Iranian Navy escort squad fired warning shots.

A boat of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) sails, at undisclosed place off the coast of Bandar Abbas, Iran August 22, 2019.

Why was a British security guard on the ship Iran attacked? - analysis

While piracy has declined, maritime security contractors continued to ensure that pirates do not hijack vessels. Now, commercial vessels and security contractors face a new threat.

 The Mercer Street, a Japanese-owned Liberian-flagged tanker managed by Israeli-owned Zodiac Maritime that was attacked off Oman coast as seen in Cape Town, South Africa, January 2, 2016 in this picture obtained from ship tracker website, MarineTraffic.com.

Iran’s threat in Gulf is to be unpredictable - analysis

Iran’s goal is to keep these groups armed and ready to support its activities, such that they can be operationalized or used as leverage and tools for Tehran’s regional project.

A boat of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) sails, at undisclosed place off the coast of Bandar Abbas, Iran August 22, 2019.

Could terrorists cause the next 'Ever Given' crisis?

Exploring how piracy or Iranian naval strategy could be adapted by terrorists to strike chokepoints, Israel and other stakeholders can get ahead of this threat.

THE ‘EVER GIVEN’ container ship became lodged in the Suez Canal, blocking maritime traffic for almost a week.