Somali piracy surges as US-Iran war drags Red Sea shipping into peril

Piracy off Somalia has surged amid spillover from the US-Iran war and related Red Sea tensions, with at least 13 ships attacked this year and two hijackings in four days, drone strikes on pirates, and several vessels held for ransom near Puntland. Experts say reduced naval patrols and local anger over foreign trawling are fueling the surge, with possible Turkish involvement under scrutiny, though no confirmed direction from Tehran or Houthi actors.