Russian superyacht sails through Strait of Hormuz despite blockade

DUBAI — A superyacht linked to the sanctioned Russian billionaire Alexey Mordashov has navigated the Strait of Hormuz, despite the ongoing blockade of the critical shipping channel at the epicenter of the US-Iran conflict, shipping data has revealed.The passage marks a rare transit through a waterway that has seen severe restrictions since February.The 142-meter (465-foot) vessel, named Nord and valued at over $500m, departed a Dubai marina on Friday afternoon, crossed the strait on Saturday morning, and reached Muscat, Oman, early on Sunday, according to data on the MarineTraffic platform.Mordashov, one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s key allies, is not listed as the formal owner of the luxury boat. However, Nord’s records indicate it was registered to a firm owned by his wife in 2022.Mordashov has been targeted by western sanctions, including from the UK, US and European Union since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.Hong Kong and the Maldives have previously not seized the yacht despite calls from western nations to freeze his assets.Mordashov is the chairman of Russia’s largest steel and mining company Severstal.With an estimated net worth of about $37bn (£27bn), Mordashov is the richest Russian national listed by the US business magazine Forbes.It is not clear if he was on board Nord while it passed through the Strait of Hormuz.Iran has engaged with Russia in high-level talks this week as its standoff with the US over the strait’s re-opening continues.Maritime traffic through the Gulf channel is currently at a fraction of pre-war levels.Iran has continued restricting shipping through the vital waterway after President Donald Trump announced US forces would impose a blockade on Iranian ports.The Russian-flagged Nord managed to clear the strait despite private vessels largely avoiding the waterway since the outbreak of hostilities.Putin hosted an Iranian delegation in St Petersburg on Monday, where Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi hailed their “strategic relationship”.Putin told Araghchi that the Iranian people were “courageously fighting” for their sovereignty in the face of American and Israeli pressure, Russian state-run news agency Tass reported.Araghchi shared photos on X showing him smiling and shaking hands with Putin and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.He wrote: “Recent events have evidenced the depth and strength of our strategic partnership.”As our relationship continues to grow, we are grateful for solidarity and welcome Russia’s support for diplomacy.”