Rising Iran-Israel tensions in the Red Sea are fueling a resurgence of Somali piracy, with reports linking Houthi networks to pirate groups operating near Puntland and the Gulf of Aden as global powers compete for influence in Somaliland and the Horn of Africa
HARGEISA — Escalating tensions between Iran and Israel are intensifying instability across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, with Somali piracy re-emerging as a growing international threat amid allegations that Yemen’s Houthi movement is supplying pirate networks with advanced technology, weapons and logistical support.
Security officials, regional analysts and United Nations monitoring reports say the conflict has accelerated the militarization of maritime routes stretching from the Strait of Hormuz to the Bab el-Mandeb, creating conditions that have enabled Somali pirate groups to expand operations deep into the Indian Ocean.
“The recent success of pirates off the coast of Somalia can largely be attributed to the war initiated by the U.S. and Israel against Iran,” wrote Tamara Ryzhenkova, a senior lecturer at St. Petersburg State University and expert for the Telegram channel JAMAL.
According to the analysis, naval forces once focused on anti-piracy operations have increasingly redirected attention toward escorting vessels attempting to navigate the heavily contested Strait of Hormuz, leaving gaps in maritime enforcement around the Horn of Africa.
Houthis accused of arming Somali pirate groups
In January 2026, Mohamed Musa Abulle, deputy director of intelligence for the Puntland Maritime Police Force, said Somali pirate groups had obtained GPS tracking systems from the Houthis, enabling them to “accurately track the routes of commercial vessels.”
“This new technology has significantly simplified their planning of attacks far from the Somali coast,” Abulle said.
The allegations add to mounting international concern over expanding ties between the Houthis, Al-Shabaab, ISIS-Somalia and criminal piracy syndicates operating from northeastern Somalia.
A 2025 report by the UN Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team described the relationship between the Houthis and Somali militant groups as “transactional or opportunistic, and not ideological.”
According to the report, Al-Shabaab representatives met Houthi operatives in Somalia multiple times during 2025 seeking weapons, training and technical assistance in exchange for expanding piracy attacks in the Gulf of Aden and targeting commercial shipping lanes.
“In return, Al-Shabaab was to increase piracy activities within the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia, targeting cargo ships and disrupting vessel movement,” the UN report stated.
The report also noted that the Houthis maintain a longstanding operational understanding with Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula involving arms transfers, prisoner exchanges and mutual non-aggression arrangements.
Piracy resurgence alarms global shipping industry
After years of decline, Somali piracy has resurged sharply since late 2023.
The coastal town of Eyl — long nicknamed “Harunta Burcadda” or “Pirate Capital” — has once again become a hub for maritime attacks.
World Bank estimates cited in the analysis indicate Somali pirate groups earned between $339 million and $413 million from ransom operations between 2005 and 2012.
Although piracy incidents dropped dramatically between 2013 and 2020 due to international naval patrols and counterterrorism operations, attacks have rapidly increased again. Six attacks were recorded in 2023 and 22 in 2024.
On Dec. 14, 2023, Somali pirates seized the Maltese-flagged bulk carrier MV Ruen with 18 crew members aboard — the first successful hijacking of a commercial vessel off Somalia since 2017.
Pirates later used the vessel as a launch platform for additional attacks in the Indian Ocean before Indian naval commandos retook the ship in March 2024.
By April 2026, pirates had reportedly hijacked at least three vessels in a single month, including a tanker and a fishing trawler, with attacks occurring as far as 2,270 miles from the Somali coast.
Somaliland emerges as strategic focal point
The growing maritime conflict has elevated the geopolitical importance of the Republic of Somaliland, particularly the port city of Berbera along the Gulf of Aden.
According to the analysis, Israel’s recognition of the Republic of Somaliland in December 2025 marked a major strategic shift in Red Sea security dynamics.
The report claims Israel, the United States and the UAE have expanded military and intelligence infrastructure in Berbera to counter Houthi operations across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Satellite imagery referenced in the article reportedly shows expansion work at Berbera Airport beginning in late 2025.
Analysts increasingly describe an emerging “Berbera Axis” involving Israel, the UAE, Ethiopia and Somaliland aimed at securing Red Sea shipping corridors, monitoring Iranian influence and countering Houthi missile and drone threats.
Somaliland’s 850-kilometer coastline opposite Yemen provides major strategic advantages for surveillance and maritime operations.
Unlike Puntland, where Al-Shabaab and ISIS-Somalia maintain operational networks, Somaliland has remained comparatively stable and largely insulated from the militant violence affecting other regions.
“From a strategic perspective, for foreign states Berbera holds greater significance than the port of Bosaso in Puntland,” the analysis argued.
Competing alliances reshape Horn of Africa politics
The article describes two emerging geopolitical blocs competing for influence in the Horn of Africa.
The first — the “Berbera Axis” — includes Israel, the UAE, Ethiopia and Somaliland, focusing on Red Sea access, maritime surveillance and countering Iranian influence.
The second — described as the “Mogadishu Axis” — includes Somalia, Türkiye, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, with an emphasis on defending Somalia’s territorial claims and limiting foreign intervention.
Türkiye remains Somalia’s largest security partner, operating the TURKSOM military base in Mogadishu and training elite Somali forces engaged in operations against Al-Shabaab.
Meanwhile, Egypt and Saudi Arabia have increased military cooperation with Somalia amid growing concerns over Red Sea instability, maritime trade disruptions and Ethiopian regional ambitions.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi recently reaffirmed Cairo’s commitment to Somalia’s security, while Saudi Arabia signed a defense agreement with Mogadishu focused on Red Sea stability earlier this year.
Iran’s indirect role under scrutiny
Although Iran is not formally aligned with Somalia, analysts say Tehran’s support for the Houthis has indirectly contributed to expanding insecurity along the Somali coast.
The article claims Iranian weapons shipments routed through Somali coastal areas have helped sustain Houthi operational capacity in Yemen while simultaneously deepening illicit regional smuggling networks.
UN monitoring reports have previously documented interceptions of arms shipments linked to Houthi supply chains in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Regional analysts warn the convergence of piracy, terrorism and great-power competition risks transforming the Horn of Africa into one of the world’s most volatile maritime flashpoints.
“The rise of piracy off the coast of Somalia complicates an already volatile situation in the Horn of Africa,” Ryzhenkova wrote. “Amid the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the confrontation in the Red Sea is growing.”
