A Russian oligarch's superyacht has successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz, despite the blockade
Shipping data shows that a superyacht associated with Russian billionaire Alexei Mordasov, under Western sanctions, crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, one of very few ships to pass through the route blocked by both Iran and the United States, Reuters reports.
The “Nord” – a 142-metre yacht valued at more than $500 million – left a Dubai marina at around 14:00 GMT on Friday, crossed the strait on Saturday morning and arrived in Oman at Muscat early Sunday morning, according to data from the MarineTraffic platform.
It is not clear how this multi-deck pleasure craft obtained permission to use the route. Iran has severely restricted traffic through the strait since early March, following the launch of US-Israeli attacks against it.
A representative for Mordasov, a Russian steel magnate, did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters on Monday.
Only a handful of ships, mainly commercial, now transit the crucial waterway at the entrance to the Gulf on a daily basis, while Washington and Tehran maintain a fragile truce. Before the war, around 125–140 crossings were recorded daily through the Strait of Hormuz.
Russia and Iran are longtime allies and have grown even closer in recent years, including through a 2025 treaty that strengthened cooperation in intelligence and security.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi arrived in Russia on Monday to meet with President Vladimir Putin, following weekend talks with mediators from Pakistan and Oman.
Mordasov, known to be close to Putin, is not officially listed as the owner of the “Nord” yacht. But Russian shipping data and corporate records from 2025 show that the ship was registered in 2022 in the name of a Russian company owned by his wife. This company is registered in the Russian city of Cerepoveț, where Mordaşov's Severstal steel company is also registered.
The tycoon was among Russian billionaires sanctioned by the United States and the European Union after Russia's invasion of Ukraine because of their ties to Putin.
One of the largest yachts in the world, “Nord” has 20 cabins, a swimming pool, a heliport and a submarine, according to the specialist publication Superyacht Times.
