Somali piracy makes comeback amid US-Iran war

• The resurgence in piracy threatens world maritime security, coinciding with closures in the straits of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab.

Somali piracy has surged to its highest level in over a decade, with armed criminal networks exploiting the security vacuum created as Western naval forces divert critical maritime surveillance toward the ongoing US war with Iran and naval blockades in the Red Sea. 

At least 13 commercial vessels have been attacked off the Somali coast since the beginning of the year, culminating in the seizure of two cargo ships within four days in the Gulf of Aden. 

Maritime security analysts note that international naval assets previously deployed for counter-piracy patrols under EUNAVFOR and US-led task forces have been redeployed to enforce blockades in the Strait of Hormuz and secure the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, creating a window of opportunity for pirate gangs to reboot operations. 

Foreign military involvement 

Among the latest vessels hijacked was the Cameroon-flagged MV Lutuf, seized off Puntland on Aug. 17.

The incident escalated rapidly after two separate drone strikes killed 13 armed individuals associated with the pirate supply network. 

Local authorities in Puntland blamed the Turkish military for the lethal strikes, noting the MV Lutuf was carrying Turkish weapons and specialized satellite hardware bound for Ankara's military facilities in Mogadishu. 

While the Somali federal government claimed credit for a joint rescue operation that freed the ship, Puntland officials disputed Mogadishu's narrative, asserting the pirates were released after a multi-million-dollar ransom was paid, a move Puntland slammed as a dangerous precedent that will spur copycat hijackings. 

Six commercial vessels remain anchored off the Somali coast near Bander Beyla as pirate groups demand millions in ransom payments. 

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Commercial rerouting 

The resurgence is further fueled by shifting maritime trade routes. As commercial vessels steer closer to the Somali coastline to avoid active conflict zones and military strikes further north in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf, merchant ships present more vulnerable targets for pirate skiffs. 

Combined with longstanding local grievances over illegal foreign overfishing in Puntland's territorial waters, the diversion of naval deterrents has created a dangerous operational environment. 

Global shipping associations warn that rising war-risk insurance premiums and potential rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope threaten to further elevate global freight costs amid an already volatile energy market.