Sanctioned Russian billionaire sails through blocked Strait of Hormuz in $500 million yacht amid US-Iran war
The 142-metre-long Nord luxury boat – a superyacht if you will – reportedly has 20 staterooms, a swimming pool, a helipad and a submarine.
Even as the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz amid the US-Iran war has led to major supply chain disruptions and dented emerging economies, a Russian billionaire has sailed through the critical waterway unscathed — and not clandestinely, rather flamboyantly.
Alexey Mordashov, a sanctioned billionaire with links to Russian president Vladimir Putin’s key allies, traversed the Strait of Hormuz in a luxury yacht on Saturday, the BBC reported.
Smooth Sailing
The 142-metre-long Nord luxury boat – a superyacht if you will – is estimated to be worth over $500 million and is one of the very few vessels to transit the blockaded shipping lane at the heart of the West Asia war. 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.
The yacht left a Dubai marina at around 1400 GMT on Friday, crossed the strait on Saturday morning, and arrived in Muscat, Oman, early on Sunday, Reuters reported, citing data from the MarineTraffic platform. However, it is not clear how the multi-deck pleasure vessel gained permission to use the route. A representative of steel magnate Mordashov declined to comment.
Since the West Asia war began in February, the traffic through the Strait of Hormuz—around one-fifth of the world's oil supply—has been tightly restricted. Only a few vessels, primarily merchant vessels, have been permitted to traverse the waterway
Just a few, mainly merchant vessels, have been passing through the crucial waterway daily as Washington and Tehran maintain an uneasy ceasefire.
Russia-Iran Friendship
Russia and Iran have been longstanding allies, and the relationship has grown in recent years, including via a 2025 treaty that strengthened intelligence and security cooperation.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi arrived in Russia on Monday, 27 April, to meet President Vladimir Putin, following discussions with mediators in Pakistan and Oman over the weekend.
Mordashov, known to be close to 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 Mordashov's steelmaker Severstal is also registered.
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 Putin.
— With inputs from Reuters
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