Not the Strait of Hormuz: Oil Tanker Hijacked in the Red Sea Instead!

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that an oil tanker has been hijacked off the coast of Somalia and taken into its territorial waters. This incident adds to the navigation risks in the Red Sea, which has become a more important supply route given Iran’s blockade in the Strait of Hormuz at the entrance to the Persian Gulf, on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula. “The tanker was seized northeast of the city of Mareeyo, Somalia, on Tuesday,” UKMTO said, citing AFP, on Sunday (26/4/2026). “Military authorities reported that unauthorised individuals have taken control of the tanker and directed it 77 nautical miles south into Somali territorial waters,” UKMTO stated. Somali authorities have not yet responded to AFP’s questions regarding the hijacking. Based on this AFP report, Somalia is described as an unstable country in the Horn of Africa, where the central government faces a fragmented federation of semi-autonomous states, as well as frequent attacks by the Al-Shabaab militant group linked to Al-Qaeda. The government also opposes separatist status for Somaliland, a region whose independence claim is recognised only by Israel. Somalia was once a base for many pirate attacks in the past, peaking in 2011. Since then, such attacks have decreased with the deployment of naval missions by the European Union, India, and other countries to the area. Across the Gulf of Aden lies Yemen, where Houthi rebels armed by Iran have previously targeted shipping vessels. On Thursday, UKMTO said a Somali-flagged fishing vessel was hijacked by 11 “armed individuals,” and separately, an oil products tanker was assaulted by an armed group. “Overall, these events indicate a credible hijacking threat,” it said.