Russian-linked superyacht crosses Strait of Hormuz amid blockade
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![]The 465-foot superyacht "Nord", linked to sanctioned Russian oligarch Alexei Mordashov is seen in Hong Kong, China, October 20, 2022. REUTERS/Donny Kwok/](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1e455d_f5f1357f433048898d452656128710b9~mv2.avif/v1/fill/w_980,h_653,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/1e455d_f5f1357f433048898d452656128710b9~mv2.avif)
RIYADH, April 27 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) - A superyacht linked to sanctioned Russian billionaire Alexey Mordashov crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, according to shipping data, becoming one of the few vessels to transit the waterway amid restrictions tied to the U.S.-Iran conflict.
Nord, a 142-metre yacht valued at about $500 million, left Dubai on Friday, crossed the strait on Saturday morning and arrived in Muscat early on Sunday, according to Marine Traffic data.
It was not immediately clear how the vessel obtained permission to use the route. Since February, Iran has sharply restricted traffic through the strait, which normally carries about one-fifth of global oil supply.
Only a limited number of vessels, mainly merchant ships, have been passing daily through the waterway, well below the roughly 125 to 140 daily transits recorded before the war began on Feb. 28.
A representative for Mordashov declined to comment.
Shipping data and Russian corporate records from 2025 showed the yacht was registered to a Russian company owned by Mordashov’s wife in 2022.
Nord is among the world’s largest yachts and includes 20 staterooms, a swimming pool, a helipad and a submarine, according to industry publication Superyacht Times.
