Somali Pirates Hijack 2 Ships in 4 Days, Seizing Iranian-Linked Tanker Off Yemen

2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 20

SIBU 1, an Eritrean-flagged tanker linked by TankerTrackers.com to Iran’s shadow fleet, was hijacked off Yemen on Thursday after routinely supplying the Houthi-held Ras Isa terminal.
The seizure was the second ship hijacking in four days, after pirates took a Cameroon-flagged cargo vessel carrying weapons off Puntland earlier this week.
17 piracy-related incidents were recorded in Somali waters and the Gulf of Aden in the first five months of 2026, including at least three commercial ships and five dhow boats.
Six ships are now being held by Somali pirates, according to a Somali ports official, with more than 100 crew members held hostage.
Experts say the sharpest piracy resurgence in more than a decade is being driven by the Iran conflict, regional rivalries and worsening economic pressure on local fishermen.