Yemen Coast Guard launches recovery operation for hijacked tanker M/T Eureka
The vessel carrying 18,000 barrels of oil is heading towards Somalia while Yemen's economic constraints limit its ability to act alone
Yemen's Coast Guard has initiated efforts to recover the oil tanker M/T Eureka, which was seized by armed assailants off the coast of Shabwa province and is now being steered towards Somalia. The seizure occurred on Saturday as attackers boarded the vessel, marking at least the fourth hijacking in the region within recent weeks. Authorities state that the hijackers subsequently directed the ship into the Gulf of Aden, raising concerns regarding the safety of the crew, whose current status remains unknown.
The incident highlights a disturbing trend in maritime security, with officials attributing the surge in pirate activity to the ongoing war in Iran. This conflict has reportedly distracted naval forces patrolling the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, creating a window of opportunity for armed groups to operate with greater impunity. The diversion of maritime routes and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz have further emboldened these actors, leading to a rapid escalation in attacks along the Somali coastline.
In response to the deteriorating situation, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has elevated the piracy threat level along the Somali coast to substantial, advising vessels to transit with caution. Concurrently, European Union naval forces patrolling the area have noted that the geopolitical instability surrounding the Iran war has provided piracy groups with the strategic advantage they need to resume operations after a period of suppression.
Yemen's capacity to manage this crisis independently is severely compromised by its dire economic situation, which limits the resources available for maritime security operations. Consequently, the Coast Guard has indicated that it is working with international partners and relevant authorities in the Gulf of Aden to facilitate the recovery of the tanker. This reliance on external support underscores the broader challenges facing regional stability as state capacities are stretched by concurrent conflicts and economic hardship.
Historical data suggests that the Somali coastline was once the epicentre of global piracy, with the World Bank estimating costs of up to $18 billion annually at the height of the crisis in the mid-2000s. An international naval coalition eventually reduced these incidents to nearly zero by 2014, but the threat has resurged since 2023. Analysts suggest this resurgence coincides with the redirection of anti-piracy patrols to the Red Sea to counter Houthi attacks targeting ships in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
The M/T Eureka is not the only vessel affected in this new wave of attacks; a previous tanker carrying a similar cargo was hijacked near the Somali coast on 21 April, followed by two additional seizures within five days. This clustering of incidents indicates a coordinated shift in tactics by pirate groups, exploiting the vacuum left by distracted naval forces to target commercial shipping in one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints.
