War in Iran: with the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, Somali pirates make a worrying return

Since the start of the war started by the United States and Israel, Iran has blocked the Strait of Hormuz. Hundreds of boats are blocked in this sea route through which a fifth of world oil production usually passes. Enough to greatly disrupt world markets and give Tehran significant strategic leverage.

Faced with geopolitical hazards, carriers are forced to adapt. Many of them must therefore go around the southern tip of Africa to continue their journey. Enough to extend their travel time by several weeks and generate massive expenses. According to estimates, the cost of this change of route is estimated at one million dollars per ship.

Above all, the cargo ships cross a particularly sensitive maritime area, the Somali basin, a hotbed of piracy until the mid-2000s. The CNN media revealed this Friday that Somali pirates have been taking advantage of this increase in traffic for several weeks in order to hijack commercial ships.

Three ships captured

According to the UK Maritime Trade Operations Center (UKMTO), two tankers and a cargo ship are currently in the hands of Somali pirates, captured between April 21 and May 2. One of them was hijacked off the coast of Yemen and diverted to Somalia. Pirates are demanding ten million dollars to release one of the tankers, according to several media.

“Recent acts of piracy are the result of opportunism, with international maritime routes being modified according to geopolitical crises,” notes Somali MP Mohamed Dini to the American media, warning that piracy networks are forging alliances with rebels Houthis from Yemen, who pose a constant threat to the Red Sea.

Off the coast of Somalia, acts of piracy intensified in the early 2000s with the collapse of the Somali government. Thousands of sailors have been captured or targeted, with pirates demanding millions of dollars in ransoms. The World Bank estimates that between 2005 and 2012, the total amount of ransoms amounted to between $339 million and $413 million.

Pirates attack ships in the Gulf of Aden, and even further into the Indian Ocean. In 2011 alone, the height of the movement, around 212 attacks were recorded. Since then, the threat has tended to fade, in particular because an international coalition led by NATO has made it possible to secure the area, with regular patrols.

Last January, a report from Commercial Crimes Services, an arm of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), indicated that only a few incidents had been recorded in 2025. “The absence of a large-scale resurgence of Somali piracy continues to demonstrate the strong deterrent effect of a sustained naval presence.” it was indicated.