Foreign Ministry calls for coordinated international action after seafarers aboard MT Honour 25 are killed and wounded during a rescue bid
ABU DHABI — Oct. 1, 2026 : The United Arab Emirates on Thursday strongly condemned the killing and wounding of crew members aboard the oil products tanker MT Honour 25, who were struck during an operation to retake the hijacked vessel off the coast of Somalia.
The vessel fell into the hands of armed pirates in waters off the Somali coast before a subsequent operation was launched to free the ship and secure its crew. During the intervention, gunfire and clashes left several crew members dead and others wounded.
In an official statement released in Abu Dhabi, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the assault as a blatant criminal act that poses an immediate danger to maritime safety and vital global shipping lanes. The ministry extended condolences to the families of those killed and wished a swift recovery to the injured seafarers.
Maritime security in the Gulf of Aden and along the Somali basin remains a critical concern for Gulf energy exporters and commercial shipping fleets connecting Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Attacks targeting commercial vessels in the Western Indian Ocean disrupt trade flows, inflate freight insurance rates, and endanger civilian crews navigating strategic sea corridors.
Naval operations off East Africa have seen occasional resurgences of piracy and armed boardings, prompting littoral states and international task forces to step up patrols. The UAE highlighted that the protection of civilian mariners and commercial transit routes is indispensable to global supply chains and economic stability.
The foreign ministry urged regional states and international naval coalitions to reinforce security cooperation across vital waterways, calling for tighter defensive measures to deter pirate networks operating in unpoliced waters.
