Somali piracy threatens ships rerouted from Middle East

"Even before the latest escalations between the United States, Israel and Iran, around half the vessels bound for Europe from Asia and the Gulf were bypassing the Red Sea and Suez Canal, due to earlier strikes by the Iran-backed Houthis. Faced with the threat of attacks around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the narrow chokepoint between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, major shipping firms opted instead for the long detour around southern Africa."

"This diversion adds two to three weeks and thousands of nautical miles to the journey, taking ships right past Somalia's coastline the same waters where Somali pirates staged a multiyear campaign of hijackings that peaked in 2011. Sporadic incidents have been reported ever since. Piracy makes a troubling return That stretch of sea is now seeing piracy return with a vengeance, with three ships hijacked off Somalia and nearby Yemen in the past three weeks alone."

"As of May 8, 2026, the Honour 25 and Eureka oil tankers and the cargo ship Sward all remain under pirate control. Experts believe that organized crime groups in Somalia are taking advantage of the Iran war to launch hijackings, as international naval patrols, first deployed in 2008 to counter the pirates, have been stretched thin by current events around Hormuz and the Red Sea."

"Tim Walker, senior researcher for transnational threats and organized crime at South Africa's Institute for Security Studies, says the pirates now perceive fewer deterrents along Somalia's 3,300-kilometer (2,050-mile) stretch of coastline, which is the longest in all of continental Africa. "Some groups, organized by ... piracy kingpins, are now looking to seize vessels and hold them for ransom, along with the crew on board sometimes demanding a high ransom for""

Global shipping faces multiple crises as the Strait of Hormuz is largely shut to commercial traffic and threats persist in the Red Sea. Many vessels bound for Europe from Asia and the Gulf have bypassed the Red Sea and Suez Canal due to earlier attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis. To avoid the Bab el-Mandeb chokepoint, major shipping firms have diverted around southern Africa, adding two to three weeks and thousands of nautical miles and passing near Somalia’s coastline. Piracy has returned in that region, with three ships hijacked off Somalia and nearby Yemen in the past three weeks. As of May 8, 2026, the Honour 25 and Eureka oil tankers and the cargo ship Sward remain under pirate control. Organized crime groups are believed to be taking advantage of the Iran war while naval patrols are stretched thin.

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