A multinational Task Force, CTF 151, led by the Royal Navy, handled 25 piracy incidents during its 6-month deployment in the Indian Ocean Region. According to the force commander, Jase Eacock, the incidents reached an all-time high in a decade.
This is because forces and attention have been diverted to the Gulf region, where the U.S-Iran war has led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz for shipping, ship attacks have increased, and the Houthi threat has also emerged after they announced the imposition of a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia.
Since Gulf waters are no longer safe for navigation, ships have had to take longer detours around Africa, close to piracy-prone waters of Somalia, offering a chance to armed pirates and local gangs to hijack vessels, kidnap seafarers and demand hefty ransoms, a pattern seen in the early 2000s.
However, Combined Task Force 151, which includes 17 vessels and other special units, has succeeded in keeping their activities in check during their short deployment, which has earned
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