Somali pirates hijack oil tanker MT Eureka off the coast of Yemen; Vessel now headed towards Somalia.

Somali pirates have seized the oil tanker MT Eureka off Yemen’s coast, escalating fears over piracy resurgence in the region. The hijacking took place at 5:00 AM local time on Saturday, as the vessel was overrun by gunmen in Yemen's southeastern Shabwa province. The coastguard confirmed the tanker is now en route to Somalia, marking the fourth successful hijacking in two weeks amid a troubling rise in piracy activities.

The recent surge is attributed to increased instability linked to local conflicts and geopolitical tensions stemming from the war in Iran. Reports indicate that the hijackers steered the vessel towards the Gulf of Aden, raising alarms about the safety of its crew, whose fate is still unknown. The Yemeni Coast Guard is collaborating with international partners to recover the tanker and ensure crew safety.

With the UK Maritime Trade Operations raising the piracy threat level to “substantial,” vessels are advised to transit with caution. The European Union’s naval forces have suggested that the ongoing conflict in Iran has created a “window of opportunity” for piracy groups to exploit this instability, pointing to a worrying trend where hijackings are seeing a resurgence after years of decline since 2011.

Somali pirates have hijacked the oil tanker MT Eureka off Yemen's coast, prompting concerns about piracy resurgence in the region, with the vessel now reportedly heading towards Somalia. This incident marks the fourth successful hijacking in two weeks amid local instability and growing threats in the Gulf of Aden.