Extremism in the Gulf of Aden: Jihad, Trade Routes & Maritime Insecurity

The Gulf of Aden has re-emerged as a critical epicentre of transnational extremism—where jihadist expansion, regional conflicts, and global trade routes intersect. This Global Eye Intelligence report delivers a high-impact assessment of how AQAP and ISIS are exploiting instability across Yemen, Somalia, and the Horn of Africa to project power far beyond local battlefields.

The analysis traces the intensification of Islamic extremism following the Israel–Iran escalation and the Gaza conflict, highlighting how AQAP has leveraged global grievances to revive recruitment, propaganda, and lone-wolf attack narratives. It examines ISIS’s territorial gains in Somalia’s Puntland region, clashes with al-Shabaab, and growing proximity to vital maritime chokepoints such as Bab al-Mandab—a gateway for global energy and commercial shipping.

Crucially, the report connects extremism with maritime security threats, including drone and missile risks, attacks on oil infrastructure, Red Sea shipping disruptions, and the spillover effects on Europe, the Gulf, and Africa. Forward-looking forecasts outline rising risks to trade, migration flows, and international counterterrorism frameworks.

Extremist networks thrive where attention fades. Those who understand the Gulf of Aden now will recognise the next global security shock before it hits trade routes and markets. Follow Global Eye Intelligence to stay ahead of under-the-radar threats shaping global security and commerce.