Tanker seizure off the coast of Yemen: the Somali threat has returned

Somali pirates have seized the tanker M.T. Sibu 1, flying an Eritrean flag, off the coast of Yemen. Six armed militants attacked the vessel, which is part of Iran's "shadow fleet" and under U.S. sanctions. The crew included citizens of India, Syria, Sudan, and Iraq. This is the sixth successful hijacking since late April.

Off the coast of Yemen, Somali pirates seized the tanker M.T. Sibu 1, flying an Eritrean flag. Six armed militants attacked the vessel approximately 136 miles from the Yemeni city of Al-Mukalla. The captured tanker is part of the so-called Iranian "shadow fleet" and was sanctioned by the U.S. last year for transporting oil in circumvention of restrictions. At the time of the seizure, the crew consisted of twenty people, including citizens of India, Syria, Sudan, and Iraq. This incident marks the sixth successful pirate hijacking of commercial vessels in the region since late April. Experts link the return of maritime piracy to the war with Iran and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which has drawn Western naval forces to the Persian Gulf, leaving the Somali coast unprotected. The situation is already impacting global trade, causing shipowners losses due to rising logistics and insurance costs. Specialists fear a return of the crisis from a decade ago, which was only halted by a major international military operation. Earlier, Kursor reported that Houthis are arming Somali pirates.