Gunmen seize tanker off Yemen amid resurgence of Somali piracy

Key Points:

• Six armed individuals have boarded and taken control of the Seamull tanker off the coast of Yemen, diverting it towards Somalia, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) centre.
• The Seamull tanker, also known as SIBU 1, had issued a distress call after being approached by an unauthorized vessel 136 nautical miles east of Yemen’s Al Mukalla in the Gulf of Aden.
• The tanker was sanctioned by the US in December for being part of Iran’s “shadow fleet” involved in deceptive oil exports and has previously transported Iranian petroleum products to Houthi-controlled ports in Yemen.
• Somali piracy, which had largely declined since 2013, has seen a resurgence this year due to stretched naval forces and regional instability, with five cargo ships currently held hostage near Yemen.
• In response to maritime security threats, Yemen announced the creation of a National Maritime Security Committee aimed at protecting shipping routes and securing navigation in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Bab al-Mandeb Strait.