Russian superyacht crosses blockaded Strait of Hormuz
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
One of the largest yachts in the world, Nord has 20 staterooms, a swimming pool, a helipad and a submarine.
PHOTO: REUTERS
A superyacht linked to sanctioned Russian billionaire Alexey Mordashov sailed through the Strait of Hormuz on April 25, shipping data showed, one of very few vessels to transit the blockaded shipping lane at the heart of the US-Iran conflict.
Nord – a 142m yacht worth over US$500 million (S$637 million) – left a Dubai marina at around 1400 GMT on April 24, crossed the strait on the morning of April 25, and arrived in Muscat early on April 26, according to data on the MarineTraffic platform.
It is not clear how the multi-deck pleasure vessel gained permission to use the route. Since February, Iran has severely restricted traffic through the strait, which typically handles around one-fifth of the world’s oil supply.
A representative of steel magnate Mordashov declined to comment on April 27.
Just a few, mainly merchant vessels, have been passing daily through the crucial waterway at the entrance to the Gulf as Washington and Tehran maintain an uneasy ceasefire. This represents a fraction of the average 125 to 140 daily passages before the Iran war began on Feb 28.
In a countermeasure, the US has imposed a blockade of Iranian ports.
Russia and Iran are longstanding allies and have become closer in recent years, including via a 2025 treaty that strengthened intelligence and security cooperation.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Russia to meet President Vladimir Putin on April 27 after discussions with mediators in Pakistan and Oman over the weekend.
Mr Mordashov, known to be close to Mr Putin, is not officially listed as the owner of Nord. But shipping data and Russian corporate records from 2025 show the vessel was registered to a Russian firm owned by his wife in 2022.
This firm is registered in the Russian town of Cherepovets, where Mr Mordashov’s steelmaker Severstal is also registered.
Mr Mordashov was among a number of Russians sanctioned by the United States and European Union after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for their links to Mr Putin.
One of the largest yachts in the world, Nord has 20 staterooms, a swimming pool, a helipad and a submarine, according to industry publisher Superyacht Times. REUTERS
