Iran linked oil tanker falls victim to Somali piracy surge

The Eritrea-flagged oil tanker Sibu 1, under US sanctions for allegedly transporting Iranian petroleum products, was seized by six armed individuals off the coast of Yemen on Thursday and diverted toward Somalia, according to the UKMTO. This incident marks at least the 13th vessel attacked this year in the region, a significant increase from five attacks in all of 2025. Experts attribute the resurgence of Somali piracy to unaddressed root causes like poor economic conditions in Somalia and the diversion of naval assets to the Red Sea due to threats from Iran and its Houthi allies. Timothy Walker, a senior researcher, stated, "The piracy was always suppressed. It was never really fully eradicated." While some suggest Houthi-pirate collaboration, the seizure of an Iran-linked vessel makes this less likely, though Somali pirates are reportedly receiving support from Yemeni criminal networks.