The European monitoring operation for security in the Indian Ocean is currently investigating a suspected pirate action group following the reported hijacking of an Iranian dhow, identified as the Al Waseemi 786. On March 25, authorities indicated that the vessel is likely being utilized as a mothership, which raises concerns about the expanding operational range of these pirate groups. The incident occurred approximately 400 nautical miles east of Mogadishu, prompting the Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean (MSCIO) to strongly advise all vessels to maintain a distance of 200 nautical miles from the area.
Despite this recent development, overall piracy activity in the region has remained low, with MSCIO assessing the threat level as low to moderate. The last reported incident prior to this was a month ago, when a group attempted to approach another Iranian vessel off Garmaal but retreated after the ship took defensive measures. In their latest evaluations, MSCIO expressed concerns that pirate tactics now include hijacking dhows to blend in with regular maritime traffic, allowing them to operate as far as 600 nautical miles off the Somali coast.
Historically, similar patterns of activity have been observed, with notable spikes in reports occurring in early and late 2025. Since November 2023, there have been 57 reported incidents, underscoring the persistent threat posed by piracy in the region. The last significant event involved the tanker Hellas Aphrodite, which was boarded in November 2025 but subsequently rescued by European forces.
