Jordan, UAE Condemn Hijacking of Oil Tanker Carrying Egyptian Sailors Off Yemen
Regional countries express solidarity with Cairo as Egypt works to secure the release of the abducted crew taken to Somali waters
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Jordan and the United Arab Emirates on Monday condemned the hijacking of an oil tanker carrying Egyptian sailors off the coast of Yemen after the vessel was reportedly seized by pirates and taken into Somali territorial waters.
In a statement, Jordan’s Foreign Ministry described the incident as “a blatant violation of international law and a serious threat to maritime security and international trade movement.”
The ministry expressed Jordan’s “full solidarity” with Egypt and the families of the abducted sailors, stressing the importance of ensuring their safety and securing their immediate release.
The UAE also strongly condemned the hijacking, calling the attack a criminal act that directly threatens maritime security and the safety of international trade routes.
In a statement issued by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abu Dhabi denounced the seizure of the tanker off Yemen’s coast and its transfer into Somali territorial waters, warning that such acts pose a direct threat to the security of maritime navigation and the stability of global trade.
The ministry reaffirmed the UAE’s full solidarity with Egypt and the families of the sailors, emphasizing the need to guarantee their safety and secure their release as soon as possible.
The UAE further stressed the importance of intensifying international efforts to combat piracy and organized crime in vital maritime corridors, underscoring that maritime security remains a cornerstone of global economic stability and international commerce.
The condemnations came after Egypt confirmed that the tanker, identified as the M/T Eureka, had been hijacked from Yemeni territorial waters and forced toward Somalia.
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty instructed the Egyptian embassy in Mogadishu to closely follow developments involving the eight Egyptian sailors aboard the vessel and coordinate with Somali authorities to secure their release.
The ministry added that Abdelatty directed the embassy to communicate “at the highest level” with Somali officials to ensure the sailors’ safety and security.
Yemeni authorities said the vessel was seized by pirates on May 2 near the coast of Shabwa Governorate in southwestern Yemen while carrying a crew that included Egyptian and Indian nationals.
On Sunday, the wife of one of the Egyptian sailors appealed publicly for help, saying the hijackers were demanding a ransom in exchange for the crew’s release.
The incident has renewed concerns over the reemergence of piracy off the Somali coast, a region that witnessed widespread maritime attacks between 2008 and 2018 before such incidents sharply declined.
Piracy activity has resurfaced since late 2023 amid escalating regional instability and growing security tensions across key international shipping routes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.