Pirates Abandon Hijacked Iranian Dhow After EU Naval Pressure Off Somalia

European naval forces say a hijacked Iranian fishing dhow has been successfully freed after nearly two weeks under pirate control in the Western Indian Ocean, marking the latest flare-up in a region long plagued by maritime piracy.

The EU’s naval mission, EUNAVFOR Operation ATALANTA, confirmed that the Iranian-flagged dhow ALWASEEMI was liberated on April 5 after pirates abandoned the vessel under sustained pressure from naval and air assets.

According to the force, the fishing vessel had been hijacked on March 24 roughly 400 nautical miles east of Mogadishu by a Pirate Action Group likely intending to use the dhow as a