Exclusive: AP joins EU naval patrol as piracy rebounds amid regional conflicts

Piracy is increasing in the Gulf of Aden, pushing threats toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical chokepoint for global shipping. The European Union’s Operation Atalanta, which has been operating since 2008, leads the EU maritime security mission in the region and prepares teams to seize vessels if pirates take ships. The AP reports it received rare access to the Spanish frigate ESPS Santa Maria, a 40-year-old, 4,000-ton warship with heavy guns, artillery, torpedoes and missiles, plus regular helicopter and drone surveillance. About 12% of world trade passes through the Bab el-Mandeb in peacetime. The story links piracy’s rebound to instability from wars involving Yemen, the Horn of Africa, and Iran, noting the Houthis began attacks there in November 2023.