A new Somali pirate attack has reignited fears for global trade after armed assailants hijacked the Maltese-flagged tanker Hellas Aphrodite, carrying gasoline from India to South Africa. The ship, owned by Greece’s Latsco Marine Management, was seized off Somalia’s coast with 24 crew members still on board. European naval forces are responding as the crew shelters in the vessel’s fortified citadel. This marks the most serious piracy escalation since 2024, amid rising insecurity linked to Red Sea tensions and Houthi rebel attacks. Experts warn renewed Somali piracy could disrupt international shipping and energy supply routes once again.
