The Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies published on 23 September 2026 an analysis titled "Somali Piracy in 2026 Is Not Just a Resurgence of a Past Problem" by Christopher Hockey.
The resurgence in 2026 of pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden is occurring due to complacency by shipowners, fewer international warships in local waters, and new circumstances in the region. The crisis in the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted the status quo. There are credible reports of Houthi, al-Shabaab, and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula support for the pirates.
