Why Iran Is Stepping Up Its Maritime Piracy
4th August 2021
On Tuesday there was an attempted hijacking of a tanker in the Gulf of Oman. According to the UK Maritime Trade Operations, nine armed men boarded a Panama-flagged tanker before leaving several hours later — reportedly after the ship’s crew sabotaged the vessel’s engines. The UK believes this attempted hijacking was the latest in a string of maritime attacks perpetrated by Iran or one of the several militant groups it backs in the Middle East.
The failed hijacking follows a drone attack last week on the tanker Mercer Street in the Arabian Sea, which is owned in part by the Israeli shipping magnate Eyal Ofer. This attack claimed the lives of British and Romanian nationals onboard the ship. Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz pointed the finger at Iran after the ship was targeted, calling it ‘an attack on the world’.
In recent years, Iran has mainly targeted ships with links to Israel. But attacks on international targets are becoming increasingly common, spilling out of Iran and Israel’s ‘shadow war’ at sea. Any response is usually met with threats from Tehran that a retaliation will be met with more force.