Piracy off Somalia has reached its highest level since 2013, CNN reported Thursday, as maritime security experts warned that the Iran war and Houthi attacks on shipping were creating new opportunities for pirates.
At one point this summer, six vessels were simultaneously held by pirates, with 90 crew members taken hostage, according to the European Union's Operation Atalanta naval mission.
The resurgence has led to several major hijackings, including the MT Eureka oil tanker and the Honour 25 diesel tanker, whose crew remained captive for more than five months.
Maritime security experts cited by CNN linked the increase to the diversion of naval resources toward the Persian Gulf and Bab al-Mandeb Strait, as well as rising fuel prices and economic hardship in Somalia.
Houthi attacks have also pushed some commercial vessels closer to Somalia's coast, exposing them to greater risks.
"As long as Iran and the Houthis continue to threaten maritime commerce, America and its regional partners will remain primarily focused on those threats, allowing piracy to flourish," Matthew Reisener, a senior national security adviser at the Center for Maritime Strategy, told CNN.
The Honour 25, carrying 2,700 tons of diesel from Oman to Somalia, was hijacked in April, with its 17 crew members held captive for more than five months. Pirates initially demanded $7 million in ransom, later reducing the amount to $1 million, according to survivors interviewed by CNN.
Five crew members were killed in late September during an operation by Puntland maritime police to free the vessel.
Tim Walker, maritime project leader at the Institute for Security Studies Africa, said ships without armed guards were particularly vulnerable, while rising ransom demands had made piracy more profitable.
"It's more lucrative to attack now," Walker said. "For one activity, pirates can get a very large payout – even a couple million dollars."
Experts also pointed to worsening poverty, drought and rising food and fuel costs in Somalia as factors encouraging piracy.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared set to remain in power after Tuesday’s election left his opponents short of the seats needed to unseat him, as he raised the prospect of renewed military action against Iran alongside the United States.
With nearly all votes counted on Wednesday, projections by Israel’s three main broadcasters gave Netanyahu’s bloc of right-wing, far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties 53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, against 48 for the opposition led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot.
Arab parties were projected to win a record 19 seats.
Neither bloc secured a majority, but the opposition's weaker-than-expected performance left Eisenkot with little prospect of forming a government without support from Arab parties, an arrangement many Jewish political leaders oppose.
Netanyahu is therefore likely to remain caretaker prime minister while coalition negotiations proceed or until another election is held.
President Isaac Herzog has said that Israel must avoid heading to the polls again after Tuesday’s vote.
“We need to do everything, certainly after yesterday, so as not to hold another election,” he said.
‘Once and for all’
Addressing supporters in Jerusalem early Wednesday, Netanyahu called for a “strong, right-wing national government” and highlighted Israel’s military successes, including its operations against Iran.
“Israel faces a singular historical opportunity, together with our partner President Trump, to remove the existential threat of Iran once and for all. But ulterior motives must not divert us from this sacred mission,” he said.
His remarks raised the prospect of renewed joint military action against Tehran at a time of heightened tensions and diplomatic efforts to avert another round of fighting.
Trump, who had urged Israelis to reelect Netanyahu so the two leaders could “finish the job” in Iran, praised his performance and credited his own endorsement.
“It might be winning or tie. The tie is sort of considered a win in that case because it's a big chess match,” Trump said Wednesday during a campaign stop in Texas.
Eisenkot, meanwhile, acknowledged that Netanyahu would remain in office as a caretaker but argued that the prime minister had lost public support and should retire from politics.
He also warned security and civil service officials against allowing Netanyahu to use national security for political purposes.
“Remember that you serve only the state and the interests of Israel's citizens. Stand firm in the face of any attempt to challenge you,” Eisenkot said. “Netanyahu, do not dare use Israel’s security for your political needs.”
Turnout reached 77.7%, the highest in more than two decades, with particularly strong participation among Arab voters.
Their parties' projected gains could give them an unusually influential role in determining whether an alternative government can be formed.
Two men appeared in a London court on Tuesday over an incident at a British air base used by US bombers to strike Iran, with prosecutors alleging that one of them sought to assist Iranian intelligence.
British national Mohmed Abdulkarim, 24, and Nouman Essghir, a 24-year-old dual British-Iranian national, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on charges under Britain's National Security Act.
RAF Fairford in southwest England had been used by US bombers carrying out strikes on Iran. The aircraft were withdrawn on security grounds shortly after five British men were arrested outside the base in the early hours of September 27.
Prosecutors said Abdulkarim arranged for five men to travel to the base in three vans at the request of a man identified only as “Ali.”
The group bought around £300 ($400) worth of petrol and stored it in drums, prosecutor Louise Gray told the court.
“One of them was told there was a bomb in the van,” Gray said. One of the men then called the emergency services, prompting police to arrive.
Abdulkarim, who appeared in court in a wheelchair, is charged with engaging in conduct likely to materially assist a foreign intelligence service between August 31 and September 28.
Reconnaissance of US-used base
Essghir was first arrested outside RAF Fairford on September 27 and is accused of entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the United Kingdom on August 22.
Prosecutors said he had carried out reconnaissance of the base in August on instructions from “Ali” and was also in one of the vans that returned to Fairford the following month.
After the men were told there was a bomb in the van, Essghir messaged “Ali” asking “wtf (what the fuck) is going on,” Gray said. He received no reply.
The circumstances surrounding the September incident have remained largely unexplained and attracted international attention amid heightened concerns about the security repercussions of the US-Iran war for Western countries.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said earlier this month that the activity at RAF Fairford was likely coordinated in Iran. Tehran's ambassador to Britain denied the allegation.
Abdulkarim was granted bail and is due to appear in court again in November, while Essghir was remanded in custody.
Police said six other people remain on bail, including four British nationals arrested outside RAF Fairford on September 27.
The decision to release suspects on bail following the incident had drawn scrutiny. Police said on Tuesday that doing so had helped investigators secure the charges against Abdulkarim and Essghir.
Voting in Israel's election was drawing to a close Tuesday, with Iran a central issue and turnout reaching its highest level at this stage since 1988.
Early exit polls in Israel's parliamentary elections on Tuesday pointed to a divided Knesset, with neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition nor the opposition securing enough seats to form a majority on its own.
Projections by Israel's Channels 12 and 13 showed the two blocs closely matched, with Arab parties collectively holding a potentially decisive number of seats in the 120-member parliament.
Channel 12 projected 52 seats for the opposition bloc, 50 for Netanyahu's bloc and 18 for Arab parties. Channel 13 put the opposition at 53 seats, Netanyahu's bloc at 50 and Arab parties at 17. Both projections left the main blocs short of the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority.
The exit polls are preliminary and could change as votes are counted.
Record vote
“We have surpassed all the records kept by the Central Elections Committee,” acting director general Dean Livne said. “There hasn’t been such a nationwide voter turnout since 1973.”
Long lines prompted election officials to say polling stations would remain open beyond their scheduled 10 p.m. closing time if voters were still waiting.
“We promise, everyone will vote,” Livne said. “If there is a line at 10 p.m., the polling stations will continue to operate until everyone who arrived by 10 p.m. has voted.”
Iran factor
Iran has featured prominently in the closing days of the campaign.
Israeli media reported that Netanyahu clashed with military chief Eyal Zamir over proposed action related to Iran that Zamir feared could trigger renewed conflict. Netanyahu denied the reports, while Defense Minister Israel Katz called reports of a rift baseless.
Eisenkot backed Zamir, accusing Netanyahu of putting his political survival ahead of national security and warning that he would not allow the military to become a tool in Netanyahu’s “campaign of survival.”
Another opposition leader, Avigdor Liberman, went further, saying any attempt to drag Israel into military action to prevent the election would amount to treason.
Eisenkot, like Netanyahu, says Iran must be prevented from acquiring nuclear weapons and has backed military strikes against its nuclear program.
But he has rejected Netanyahu’s pursuit of regime change in Tehran as an achievable military objective and argued for combining economic pressure and diplomacy with military action when necessary.
Earlier this month, Eisenkot said another attack would be justified if Iran were making a dash for a nuclear weapon, but said he was unaware of any development requiring an immediate strike.
The result is being followed closely in Iran, where Israel’s next government will inherit decisions over whether and under what circumstances to resume military action against Tehran.
Senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey opened talks with Iranian authorities in Tehran on Monday, following increased Iran-backed Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and renewed warnings of military action between Tehran and Washington.
Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman, Pakistani army chief Asim Munir and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin will travel to Tehran, Reuters reported on Monday, citing Saudi and Iranian officials.
Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, confirmed the visit.
The initiative was proposed during Munir's visit to Tehran last week, when he met President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior officials, according to a senior Iranian official.
Iranian media reported that officials told Munir they would not negotiate with Washington until Tehran's demands were met.
Defense pact faces first major test
The visit marks the first high-level meeting between Iran and all three members of the Mecca defense pact since the escalation of hostilities.
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey signed the agreement in August, establishing that a military attack on one member would be considered an attack on all three.
Pakistan has ratified the pact, while ratification remains pending in Turkey's parliament.
Earlier this month, the three countries agreed to implement their defense commitments and rapidly deploy military personnel and capabilities to Saudi Arabia.
The agreement faces its first significant test following increased Houthi attacks on Saudi territory.
Saudi Arabia announced on Sunday that it had intercepted another wave of missiles and drones.
The visit is intended to reduce hostilities and support mediation efforts by Qatar and Pakistan, Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister for Public Diplomacy Raed bin Khalid Qarmali said earlier.
US-Iran confrontation
Qatari officials also visited Tehran on Sunday for talks with Iranian authorities.
Previous mediation by Qatar and Pakistan helped secure a temporary halt to hostilities, but the agreement collapsed when fighting resumed.
Indirect contacts between Tehran and Washington have continued through both mediators, a process also referenced by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
US President Donald Trump raised the possibility of renewed military operations against Iran on Friday.
Iranian officials have warned that any further attack would trigger a stronger response.
The diplomatic meetings come as Saudi Arabia seeks to prevent the conflict from spreading to its critical infrastructure, putting the Mecca defense pact and regional mediation efforts under growing pressure.
Iran still has the knowhow, middlemen and shadow-fleet infrastructure it spent years developing to sell sanctioned oil to China. But it has now run out of oil outside Iran to put through that system.
The US naval blockade has exposed a limitation in Tehran’s sanctions-evasion machinery: ship-to-ship transfers, false paperwork and steep discounts can disguise and sell crude once it is at sea, but they cannot get fresh cargoes out of Iranian ports.
For months, Iran was able to keep selling oil to China because millions of barrels had already left the country on tankers and were sitting in Asian waters. That reserve is now effectively exhausted.
Kpler analysts cited by The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday estimated Iran had about 135 million barrels in overseas storage when the war began in February. By October 5, that had fallen below one million barrels.
Vortexa gave a different figure, estimating Iranian stocks off Singapore at roughly six million barrels on October 9. The difference reflects varying tracking methods and locations, but both show that the offshore stocks that sustained Iranian exports have been largely depleted.
The Malaysia route dries up
Malaysia sits at the heart of how Iranian oil has reached China, serving mainly as a transfer point rather than the true source of much of the crude.
The Wall Street Journal reported in May on ship-to-ship transfers of Iranian crude off the Malaysian coast.
A sharp drop in China’s purchases recorded as Malaysian crude could therefore provide another indication that the flow of Iranian oil through the system has dried up.
But the figures are not a one-for-one measure of Iranian exports. Chinese customs data record the declared origin of cargoes, while ship tracking can miss transfers or vessels operating without transponders.
The timing nevertheless coincides with the depletion of the offshore stocks that had fed the trade. If no new Iranian crude is available for transfer near Malaysia, fewer cargoes would be expected to appear in Chinese data under a Malaysian origin.
China turns to other suppliers
China remains Iran’s most important potential buyer, but its independent refineries are already lining up alternatives.
Reuters reported on October 6 that Chinese “teapot” refineries had purchased at least 12 million barrels of Iraqi and Qatari crude for delivery in October and November. Traders suggested the total could reach 15 million to 20 million barrels.
Iranian oil had been attractive largely because of its steep discount. Iraqi and Qatari cargoes may cost more, but they arrive through normal channels and carry less risk of sanctions trouble or sudden interruptions.
Iran could offer deeper discounts or rely more heavily on intermediaries to retain Chinese customers. Neither solves the central obstacle: the oil still has to be loaded and shipped.
Reuters reported in August that offers of Iranian oil to Chinese buyers had already fallen as stored cargoes were sold.
Few alternatives to tankers
Jask, on the Gulf of Oman, is often cited as Iran’s alternative export outlet. The Goreh–Jask pipeline and terminal were built so oil could reach the sea without passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
So far, however, the facility has not shown it can replace Iran’s main export system.
The International Energy Agency’s February 2026 factsheet described Jask as effectively out of regular service. S&P Global later reported tanker activity there between March and July, indicating occasional use.
That suggests the route can handle some cargoes, not that it can support exports on the scale Iran needs. A port outside Hormuz is also not necessarily beyond the reach of a blockade aimed at Iranian ports.
Rail and trucking through neighboring countries offer still less capacity. They face high costs, limited infrastructure, border procedures and sanctions risks.
The pressure shifts onshore
If crude cannot be exported, Iran’s problem moves from the sea back to its oil fields.
Tehran can send more crude to domestic refineries, use available storage or cut production. Kpler estimated earlier in the blockade that Iran had already begun reducing output as inventories rose and usable storage space tightened.
Usable storage is not the same as total tank capacity: some tanks hold condensate, and not all can simply be switched to crude.
Further production cuts would mean less revenue and could make restarting output more difficult. But continuing to pump oil with nowhere to send it risks filling remaining storage and eventually forcing deeper cuts.
The financial impact will also emerge gradually because payments for cargoes already delivered can arrive weeks later.
The United States says the blockade has denied Iran at least $25 billion in oil revenue, a CENTCOM estimate cited by the Journal rather than an independently verified measure of Tehran’s net losses.
Iran has not forgotten how to evade sanctions or lost the network it built to sell oil despite them. But before Tehran can disguise a cargo, transfer it between ships or sell it at a discount, it first has to get the oil out of Iran.
