Shadow Fleet Resurgence: Somali Pirates Hijack Oil Tanker Near Yemen

An oil tanker carrying 17 crew members was hijacked off the coast of Yemen and diverted toward Somali waters on Saturday — the most significant maritime hijacking in years and a stark reminder that the piracy threat in the Horn of Africa never truly disappeared.

## The Hijacking

Yemen’s Coast Guard confirmed that the vessel — identified as the MT Honour 25 — was intercepted in the Gulf of Aden approximately 40 nautical miles from the port of Hodeidah. Armed pirates aboard a small craft boarded the tanker and seized control, changing the vessel’s course toward Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region.

Initial reports suggest most crew members are Pakistani nationals. The International Maritime Security Centre (IMSC) said it was working to establish contact with the vessel and monitor its movement.

This is at least the third hijacking in the region over the past 10 days, following a surge in piracy activity that security analysts have linked to the diversion of Western and allied naval forces to the ongoing US-Israeli military operation against Iran.

## Naval Forces Overstretched

The timing is not coincidental. For years, a coalition of international navies — including NATO members, China, and India — maintained a robust presence in the Gulf of Aden and Somali Basin, conducting regular patrols and providing naval escorts for high-value vessels. That presence has been dramatically reduced as warships are redeployed to the Persian Gulf amid rising tensions with Iran.

Pirates have been quick to exploit the gap. Somali piracy was largely suppressed by 2011 through a combination of naval operations, privately contracted armed guards, and the establishment of a Maritime Security Patrol corridor. But the industry has never been fully dismantled — and anecdotal evidence from coastal communities in Puntland suggests that pirate networks are rebuilding, recruiting, and re-equipping.

“We went from almost zero incidents to a dozen armed robberies and three hijackings in less than two months,” said one regional maritime analyst. “The window of opportunity opened, and they walked through it.”

## The Iran War Connection

The broader geopolitical context matters. The US-Israeli operation against Iran has drawn naval assets from the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea, creating a corridor of reduced oversight that extends from the Strait of Hormuz to the Horn of Africa. Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen, meanwhile, have continued to target commercial shipping in the Red Sea — forcing many vessels to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope, passing directly through pirate-prone waters.

The combination of fewer naval patrol craft, longer shipping routes, and a desperate Iran-backed Houthi insurgency has created a “perfect storm” for maritime criminality. Insurers have already begun raising war risk premiums for vessels transiting the Gulf of Aden.

## Crew at Risk

The hijacked tanker’s crew faces an uncertain fate. Somali pirates have historically held crew members for ransom — sometimes for months or years. The Pakistani government has said it is in contact with the vessel’s operators and working through diplomatic channels to secure the crew’s release.

For the families of the sailors, the hijacking is a nightmare. “We haven’t heard from him since yesterday,” a relative told Reuters. “We just want him home safe.”

International shipping organizations have called for renewed naval commitments and for shipping companies to take additional security precautions, including employing armed security teams and avoiding known pirate aggregation zones.

The resurgence of Somali piracy is a barometer of the wider instability rippling through the Red Sea and Indian Ocean. Until the geopolitical tensions driving naval redeployments are resolved, the waters off East Africa will remain some of the world’s most dangerous.

*NowInAfrica — Covering the Continent’s Biggest Stories*