Somali Pirates Resurge in Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean

After nearly a decade of relative calm, Somali pirates have returned to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. On 17 July, they seized the tanker MT Asana as it transited the Gulf, taking the crew hostage and steering the vessel to the Puntland ports of Eyl and Garacad. A South Korean warship attempted to intervene, but the pirates escaped with the ship and crew.

The incident revives a piracy hotspot that once saw attacks every 1‑2 days, with ransom payments peaking at $150 million in 2011—five times the annual budget of Puntland. Global shipping losses from piracy have historically ranged from $6 billion to $12 billion per year.