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The ' Asana', which was still being held by Somali pirates, had a years-long pattern of disappearing from vessel tracking systems for extended periods ahead of the hijacking. It had transmitted no position since July 17 at 05:22 a.m. UTC. The vessel carries a critical gap rating, with tracking gaps of 102, 96, 48, 37, 32, 29, 27 and 24 days recorded across 2024 and 2025, long before the hijacking. The vessel has also passed through several operators over the past decade. Its current owner, Exon Energy Inc, was not sanctioned. A previous operator and manager, the Russia-based Valkur LLC, which managed the ship from 2015 to 2023, has now been listed under French, Monaco, EU and Swiss sanctions tied to Russia's war in Ukraine, though those sanctions were imposed years after the company's link to the vessel ended.

At least nine people were killed in an airstrike in Somalia’s Puntland state on Aug 23, which hit the coastal area of Jiifle, in the Godob-Jiraan district of the Nugaal region, to where the 'Lutuf' had been taken several days earlier, after being hijacked 3,5 nautical miles off the coadz near the Marraya area of the Eyl district in Puntland on Aug 17. Puntland’s Ministry of Information did not yet have official information about the attack but had launched an investigation. The 'Lutuf' was believed to be carrying weapons intended for a Turkish military training center in Mogadishu, along with communications and satellite equipment.

The IMO Secretary-General, Arsenio Dominguez, was demanding the immediate and unconditional release of more than 90 seafarers held captive following renewed piracy in the Gulf of Aden. Following the hijack of the ' Sibu 1'; six vessels were being held by pirates and armed robbers in the region. The organisation reportsedthat the more than 90 seafarers were facing constant uncertainty and threats, with some having limited access to adequate food, fresh water, medical support and other essential services. IMO Secretary-General Dominguez stated that no seafarer should face violence, intimidation or exploitation simply for doing their jobs and keeping global trade moving. The IMO was also calling on flag States and coastal States to ensure ships are properly prepared to manage security risks, including implementation of Best Management Practices for Maritime Security (BMP Maritime Security) and relevant IMO guidance. The IMO said that continued international naval cooperation remained essential to protecting merchant shipping and seafarers.

The 20 crew members of the 'Sibu 1', among them 16 Indian nationals, one Syrian, one Sudanese, one Iraqi, with one nationality still unconfirmed, were reported safe, although the vessel remained under pirate control. This meant that 22 Indians were caught up in the two recent Somali piracy cases, six others aboard the cargo m/v 'Lutuf'.

EUNAVFOR operation Atalanta has warships in the area and was monitoring the now six vessels that are being held by the pirates for ransom, among them the 'Lutuf', for which the pirates were demanding $2 million for the release. It was unclear if they knew the ship they were targeting or if it was a target of opportunity and only then did they discover the nature of the cargo. Thepirates had communications and negotiations involving officials from the Somali federal government and the Turks over the release of the ship. The authorities in the Puntland region have issued a “decisive warning” against yielding to the pirates' demands or paying any ransom, saying that paying the pirates would “inevitably fund and encourage a new and dangerous wave of armed piracy along the coast.” Similar warnings have been sounded by others in general about the pirates. The NGO, the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime, believes the ransom paid by the Chinese for a fishing boat set a precedent that could be fueling the renewed activity. The 'Lutuf' was the second shadowy vessel the pirates seized in recent days after the 'Asana', linked to Iran and fuel smuggling in the region. The maritime intelligence firm Pole Star Globe reported it analysed the movements of the Tansania-flagged tanker 'Asana' and found “critical gaps” in its tracking long before the hijacking. They noted that the ship was sold in 2023 but had previously been linked to a Russia-based manager, Valkur, between 2013 and 2023. After the ship was reported sold, Valkur was sanctioned by the EU and others.