Key Points:
- Maltese-flagged tanker Hellas Aphrodite boarded by Somali pirates off Somalia on November 6, 2025
- Pirates used machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades in assault; crew of 24 secured in citadel
- First successful commercial ship hijacking by Somali pirates since December 2023
- Pirates using hijacked Iranian-flagged dhow (Issamohamadi) as mother ship base
- Houthi Red Sea attacks redirecting shipping routes, enabling Somali pirate resurgence
New Delhi: The Hellas Aphrodite came under sustained assault approximately 290 nautical miles southeast of Eyl in northeastern Somalia on November 6, 2025. According to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center, attackers in a small skiff approached from behind the vessel and discharged both small firearms and rocket-propelled grenades at the tanker. The captain’s distress reports indicated coordinated, aggressive tactics suggesting experienced maritime attackers rather than desperate opportunists.
The British military’s maritime authority confirmed the boarding, stating that unauthorized personnel from the skiff took control of the vessel at coordinates 0205N 05710E. The ferocity and precision of the assault utilizing RPGs alongside automatic weapons indicated sophistication beyond typical pirate operations, suggesting either experienced former military operators or well-organized criminal networks with substantial resources. This escalation represents a qualitative shift from previous Somali piracy incidents that primarily relied on small arms and threatening approaches.
Crew’s Desperate Defense: Citadel Becomes Sanctuary
The 24-member crew aboard the Hellas Aphrodite responded to the attack by immediately securing themselves in the ship’s citadel, a fortified compartment designed specifically for crew protection during maritime emergencies. This decision proved critical to crew survival, as the vessel lacked armed security personnel who might have engaged the attackers. Maritime security firm Diaplous Group documented that all crew members successfully reached the citadel, effectively preventing pirate boarding teams from capturing hostages during the chaotic assault.
The absence of armed security on the Hellas Aphrodite contrasts sharply with security practices implemented aboard many high-value commercial vessels transiting dangerous maritime zones. This vulnerability likely emboldened the attackers, who faced no defensive armed resistance and could board with relative impunity. The crew’s confinement in the citadel represents modern maritime safety protocols, but also underscores the psychological and physical ordeal endured during extended captivity situations.
First Hijacking Since 2023: Dramatic Escalation
The successful boarding of the Hellas Aphrodite represents the first commercial vessel hijacking by Somali pirates since December 2023, when the Maltese-flagged Ruen was captured and subsequently recovered by Indian naval forces. This 22-month hiatus suggested Somali piracy had effectively concluded, with international maritime authorities reducing alert levels and shipping companies assuming substantially lower risk profiles. The November 2025 hijacking, therefore, constitutes a shocking reversal, a dramatic signal that the piracy threat, previously considered neutralized, has dramatically resurged.
The two-year dormancy period created complacency within maritime shipping communities. Insurance premiums declined, security protocols relaxed, and international naval patrols reduced their intensity. This security lapse created precisely the operational environment pirates required to successfully execute complex maritime assault operations. The sudden reactivation of Somali piracy demonstrates how quickly security vacuums can transform into operational opportunities for organized criminal networks.
The Mother Ship: Hijacked Iranian Dhow as Operations Base
Maritime security firm Ambrey identified the Iranian-flagged dhow Issamohamadi as the pirates’ mothership, from which the assault skiff operated. The Issamohamadi itself was seized by Somali pirates in recent weeks, subsequently weaponized and converted into a floating base for coordinating multiple maritime attacks. Intelligence reports indicate the hijacked dhow has been connected to at least three additional piracy incidents off Somalia’s coast, establishing it as a primary operational asset for current piracy networks.
Iran has not officially acknowledged Issamohamadi’s capture, complicating international diplomatic responses and creating uncertainty regarding potential ransom negotiations or crew status aboard the hijacked vessel. The use of a mothership dramatically extends pirates’ operational range, enabling attacks at distances far exceeding small skiff capabilities. This tactical innovation represents significant sophistication, suggesting Somali pirate networks have reconstituted organizational structures capable of coordinated, multi-vessel operations.
Houthi-Induced Red Sea Insecurity Catalyzes Pirate Resurgence
Maritime security analysts directly attribute the Somali piracy resurgence to insecurity generated by Houthi rebel attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Since late 2023, Yemen-based Houthi forces have launched sustained missile and drone strikes against commercial shipping, forcing the vast majority of international maritime traffic to divert away from the Red Sea’s traditional shipping lanes. This rerouting, extending voyage times by approximately two weeks and adding substantial fuel costs, has systematically weakened international naval patrols that previously deterred Somali piracy through intensive surface presence.
International naval task forces coordinating anti-piracy operations found their resources stretched across expanded geographical areas, reducing patrol density off Somalia precisely when vulnerability increased. As commercial shipping traffic diverted toward longer circumnavigational routes around the African continent, the historical pirate hunting grounds became relatively unsupervised, creating precise conditions enabling pirate operational resurrection. The Houthi-Somali piracy nexus, though geographically separated, demonstrates how regional instability in one maritime zone can generate security cascades affecting distant waters.
The 2011 Peak and Subsequent Decline: Context for Current Resurgence
Somali piracy reached its historical apex in 2011, when the International Maritime Bureau recorded 237 piracy incidents, a staggering volume demonstrating the threat’s previous severity. During the 2009-2012 peak, Somali pirates captured numerous international vessels, holding them and crews hostage for months while demanding substantial ransom payments that sometimes exceeded $10 million per vessel. The threat appeared virtually uncontrollable, prompting massive international naval deployments and emergency industry responses.
However, coordinated international counter-piracy efforts, including dedicated naval task forces from multiple nations, armed security teams aboard merchant vessels, and strengthened international law enforcement coordination, gradually suppressed pirate operations throughout the 2013-2023 period. By 2023-2024, recorded piracy incidents had declined dramatically, with only seven incidents reported in 2024 according to the International Maritime Bureau. This extended period of relative calm created false confidence that Somali piracy had been permanently neutralized through improved governance and security frameworks.
Current Maritime Threat Assessment and International Response
The November 2025 hijacking has triggered urgent international security reviews and warnings from maritime authorities. UKMTO issued advisories counseling all vessels in regional waters to navigate with heightened caution and maintain continuous communication with authorities. Security companies have elevated threat assessments for the Somali Basin and western Indian Ocean, recommending enhanced security measures, including armed security teams and evasive routing, for commercial vessels transiting these previously considered relatively stable waters.
Insurance premiums for vessels transiting off Somalia’s coast have likely increased substantially, reflecting elevated risk perceptions. Shipping companies face renewed pressure to implement comprehensive security protocols, employ armed security personnel, and potentially further extend voyage times by detouring farther from Somali territorial waters. These measures, necessary for crew safety, impose significant economic costs on global maritime commerce and threaten increased shipping prices for consumers worldwide.
Broader Maritime Security Implications
The Hellas Aphrodite hijacking represents a watershed moment in maritime security, signaling that even regions considered stabilized through earlier counter-piracy efforts remain vulnerable to operational resurgence when international vigilance diminishes. The incident underscores how interconnected maritime security challenges, Red Sea instability, Somali governance weaknesses, and expanded operational geography can interact to recreate dangerous maritime environments. Going forward, international naval coordination and persistent regional presence will prove essential to preventing Somali piracy from reconstituting to 2011 peak levels.
