Somali pirates are taking advantage of a maritime security vacuum created by the war with Iran, according to a Politico report that found a resurgence in attacks on commercial ships as international naval resources have been pulled toward the Middle East. The development comes as the global shipping industry contends with attacks around the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, higher energy prices, and sharply reduced traffic through some of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints.
As of August 22, six commercial vessels have been seized since April across the Gulf of Aden and the western Indian Ocean. That is up from Politico’s report that Somali pirates had seized at least three tankers carrying oil and fertilizer since April, while a chemical-carrying ship was hijacked off Yemen in July. The latest attacks have occurred as the United States and other countries have concentrated naval forces around the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea.
The White House did not immediately comment to Fortune on the ongoing situation.
Brett Erickson, a managing principal at Obsidian Risk Advisors, told Politico the pirates were benefiting from the diversion of American resources. He described the pirates as “profiteers.”
