FLASH
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The Nord, linked to sanctioned billionaire Alexei Mordashov, sailed from Dubai to Oman in one of the rare private crossings in recent months.
A superyacht linked to Russian billionaire Alexei Mordashov, who is under international sanctions, has passed through the Strait of Hormuz despite the ongoing blockade of this strategic sea route. The news is reported by international media, referring to data from the Marine Traffic platform.
The 142-meter luxury yacht Nord, estimated to be worth more than $500 million, sailed from Dubai to Muscat, Oman, over the weekend. It is one of the few private vessels to have traversed this maritime corridor in recent months, while most private vessels have avoided the area due to tensions.
The yacht's passage comes as Iran continues to clash with the United States over the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global energy trade, as about a fifth of the world's crude oil and liquefied natural gas supplies typically pass through it.
According to the data, the “Nord” departed from Dubai on Friday evening and arrived at the Al Mouj marina in Muscat on Sunday morning. Maritime traffic in the Persian Gulf is currently at much lower levels compared to pre-conflict periods, while tensions have also contributed to the increase in global oil prices, with Brent reaching around $109 per barrel.
Iran has continued to restrict shipping through the vital waterway after US President Donald Trump threatened to impose a blockade on Iranian ports. Despite this, the Russian-flagged Nord managed to pass through the strait.
Although Mordashov is not officially listed as the owner of the yacht, documents show that it was registered in 2022 to a company owned by his wife. It is not clear whether the billionaire was on board during this trip.
At the same time, Iran and Russia have intensified diplomatic contacts. Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted an Iranian delegation in St. Petersburg, where Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the relationship between the two countries as “strategic.” According to the Russian state news agency Tass, Putin said that the Iranian people are resolutely defending their sovereignty in the face of pressure from the United States and Israel.
Araghchi also published photos on the X network, where he appears meeting Putin and Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, emphasizing that recent developments show the strength of cooperation between the two countries and praising Russia's support for diplomacy.
According to Superyacht Times magazine, the Nord is equipped with a swimming pool, helipad and a submarine. Mordashov, chairman of steel company Severstal, has an estimated fortune of around $37 billion according to Forbes and is subject to sanctions by the US, European Union and UK following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
So far, authorities in Hong Kong and the Maldives have not seized the yacht, despite calls from Western countries to freeze its assets.
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