A luxury yacht owned by a prominent ally of Vladimir Putin recently navigated through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime route currently closed to commercial shipping.
The vessel, named “Nord,” is a 465-foot multi-deck superyacht worth over $500 million and is linked to Alexei Mordashov, Russia’s wealthiest individual. The yacht managed to traverse the Strait following maintenance in Dubai, with no objections from either Iran or the US, as reported by a source familiar with the billionaire’s affairs on Tuesday.
Flying the Russian flag, the yacht departed Dubai on Friday and completed its passage through the Strait on Saturday. It is one of the few private yachts to achieve this feat since the onset of conflict in Iran.
The vessel reached Muscat, the capital of Oman, by Sunday morning, according to information from the Marine Traffic platform.
“Iran did not interfere with the yacht’s journey as it represents a civilian vessel from a friendly nation conducting a peaceful passage. Similarly, the US posed no objections to the yacht’s transit since it neither docked at Iranian ports nor has any ties to Iran,” the source shared with Reuters.
The Strait of Hormuz has seen restricted access due to Iran’s blockade, while the US maintains a naval blockade in the area.
Just a handful of ships, mostly merchant vessels, have been able to pass through the Strait, the crucial waterway in the Persian Gulf through which normally passes a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas shipping.
This is a fraction of the 125 to 140 average journeys made through the Strait before the start of the war on Feb. 28.
Mordashov, 60, the CEO of Russia’s largest steel and mining company, Severstal, has an estimated net worth of around $37 billion, according to Forbes.
“Nord,” one of the world’s most expensive superyachts, features two helicopter pads, luxury lounge decks, and an 80-foot swimming pool at the stern.
It also includes an onboard gym, cinema, and jacuzzi, and carries a submarine and other smaller craft.
The ship has space for 36 guests and 42 crew.
Mordashov is not listed as the “Nord’s” formal owner, but records indicate it was registered to a firm owned by his wife in 2022.
Vladimir Putin has been a long-time ally of Iran, and held high-level talks on Monday in St Petersburg with the Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, following talks in Pakistan and Oman over the weekend.
Mordashov, a strong supporter of the Russian President, has faced Western sanctions over his funding of the war in Ukraine.
In March 2022, in the early days of the war, one of Mordashov’s smaller boats, the 215-foot “Lady M,” was impounded by Italian police in the port of Imperia.
