PR in the Philippines

(SeaPRwire) –   A rise in Somali piracy is stoking concerns about a Red Sea “security vacuum” throughout the region, with analysts cautioning against a resurrected maritime crime strategy now connected to Iran-supported Houthis.

This warning follows a May 2 report from Yemen’s coast guard that armed individuals hijacked an oil tanker off Shabwa and directed it toward the Gulf of Aden; the vessel has since been located, and recovery efforts are underway, per Reuters.

“A fundamental shift is occurring in the maritime center of gravity during this new phase of regional maritime instability,” Ido Shalev, chief operating officer at RTCOM Defense, told Digital.

“Somali factions and groups tied to the Houthis are collaborating—using skiffs and new technology to attack ships with coordination not seen in a decade—while Saudi crude rerouted from the Strait of Hormuz has created a ‘target-rich environment for them,’” he added.

“This is an opportunistic partnership: the Houthis provide geopolitical cover and advanced GPS and surveillance capabilities, while Somali groups supply on-the-ground personnel or skiffs at sea,” Shalev said.

Following the capture of the MT Eureka off Shabwa, Shalev—a former Israeli naval officer—remarked that the so-called “Somali model” had returned “with a vengeance.”

“This is a transactional alliance, happening right in the area where the Houthis are active and aim to inflict harm while supporting their IRGC backers,” he stated, then describing how pirates seize entire ships and cargo, transporting them to secure anchorages like Qandala or Garacad.

“They then demand a ransom for the full package: the vessel, tens of millions of dollars in oil, and the crew,” he said.

Shalev noted that the surge in regional risk is further worsened by the volatility of the Strait of Hormuz. As Iranian-backed threats persist in the Persian Gulf, global energy flows are shifting.

“Due to the closure and instability of the Strait of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia has diverted millions of barrels of crude per day through its East-West pipeline to the Red Sea port of Yanbu,” the former Israeli naval officer said.

“This turns a sector once used as a backbound route into a target-rich environment. With Brent Crude prices surging—peaking near $115/bbl this quarter—the reward for a successful hijacking has never been higher.”

According to Windward AI and alerts from the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the risk level in Somali waters was recently upgraded to “substantial” following a wave of hijackings and attempted attacks starting April 21.

At least three vessels were hijacked within days: a Somali-flagged fishing boat on April 21, followed by the Palau-flagged tanker Honour 25 (IMO 1099735), and by April 26, a general cargo ship seized and redirected to Garacad.

Shalev, who led the design of Nigeria’s “Falcon Eye” project—a surveillance system that successfully reduced piracy in those waters to 0%—warned that the distraction of global warships is being exploited.

“Because international naval forces are preoccupied with missile threats, a ‘security vacuum’ has opened in the region, allowing pirates to travel vast distances in skiffs to board vulnerable commercial vessels,” he said.

“Somali piracy, which had been suppressed for years, has seen a sharp resurgence that aligns perfectly with the Houthi crisis in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden,” Shalev said.

Reports indicate the Red Sea carries 12% to 15% of global trade and about 30% of container traffic, moving over $1 trillion in goods annually—including oil and LNG.

“The current crisis proves you can’t ‘patrol’ your way out of this; you have to detect the threat before it ever reaches the ship,” Shalev said.