Yemen Coast Guard Chases Hijacked Oil Tanker as Piracy Threat Escalates Off Somalia

The M/T Eureka was seized by armed assailants off Yemen’s Shabwa province and redirected toward the Gulf of Aden. Yemen’s coast guard announced the hijack on Saturday and said it is working with international partners to recover the vessel and locate its crew, whose status remains unknown. Limited resources and a strained economy hamper Yemen’s response.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) responded by raising the piracy threat level off Somalia to “substantial,” urging ships to transit the area with heightened caution. This alert follows a series of hijackings near the Somali coast, including a tanker carrying roughly 18,000 barrels of oil captured on April 21 and two additional vessels seized within the next five days.

European Union naval forces added that the ongoing war between the United States, Israel, and Iran has created a strategic opening for piracy groups. With naval assets diverted to the Red Sea to counter Houthi attacks and the Strait of Hormuz blockade, pirates appear emboldened, exploiting reduced patrol coverage.

Piracy off Somalia peaked in the early 2000s, costing the global economy up to $18 billion annually. International coalitions reduced attacks to near‑zero by 2014, but incidents have risen again in 2023 as anti‑piracy ships were reassigned to protect shipping lanes threatened by Houthi militants. Analysts link the recent surge to the redirection of naval forces and the broader geopolitical tension surrounding Iran.

The immediate concern is the fate of the M/T Eureka’s crew and the potential loss of its cargo, which could further disrupt oil markets already strained by regional conflicts. The incident underscores the vulnerability of commercial shipping in the Gulf of Aden, a chokepoint linking the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean.

What it means: The hijacking highlights a growing security gap as major navies focus on the Iran‑related conflict, leaving the Somali corridor exposed. Stakeholders should monitor naval deployments and any further UKMTO advisories, as the next weeks could see additional attacks or a coordinated rescue effort.