Somali Pirates Hijack Iranian Dhow and Could Be Targeting Ships Warns MSCIO

The European monitoring operation for security in the Indian Ocean and near Somalia is investigating what it terms a probable pirate action group. It warned on March 25 that an Iranian dhow was reported hijacked and said it was “highly likely” being used as a mothership.

The incident took place approximately 400 nautical miles to the east of Mogadishu, highlighting the increased range of the pirate groups. MSCIO (Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean) is “strongly advising” all vessels to avoid transiting within a 200 nautical mile radius of the reported position. The vessel is being identified as the Al Waseemi 786, registered in Iran.

It has been a month since there was a reported incident in the region, with overall activity remaining low. MSCIO had listed the piracy threat in its weekly reports as low to moderate in the regions around Somalia. At the end of February, a group had set out from Somalia and approached another Iranian vessel. It took place offshore from Garmaal on February 26, and MSCIO reported the vessel took defensive actions, and the skiffs withdrew without boarding the Iranian ship.

In its most recent assessment of the region, MSCIO wrote that it was “almost certain” that the pirate groups’ tactics included hijacking a dhow for use as a mothership. They said it permits the groups to “blend in with usual traffic.” They said the groups were moving up to 600 nautical miles off the east Somali coast, and when they found a target were launching skiffs. Typically, they said the groups were targeting Yemeni fishing dhows, but in 2025, they did go after Chinese fishing boats and Iranian dhows.

The timing of the activity follows a similar pattern to 2025. Last year, there were reports in February and March, and then a lull before a few more reports in November and December. The last significant spike in activity came between November 2023 and May 2024. It lists a total of 57 incident reports since November 2023, demonstrating that the pirate groups remain capable of assaulting ships in the region. The last incident with a merchant ship was reported in November 2025, when the tanker Hellas Aphrodite was boarded and later liberated by the European forces.