- A superyacht linked to a Russian tycoon passed through the Strait of Hormuz this weekend.
- The Nord, the world's 12th-largest yacht, is one of the few private vessels to obtain passage.
- The vessel is linked to Alexei Mordashov, the Russian steel magnate.
A multi-deck superyacht linked to one of Russia's richest men has sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, obtaining rare passage through the blockaded shipping lane.
Maritime tracking data showed that the Nord, a 464-foot vessel often estimated to be worth $500 million, crossed the strait on Saturday morning local time after leaving Dubai on Friday.
On Sunday, the yacht was transmitting its location off the coast of Muscat, Oman's capital.
The Nord, the world's 12th-largest superyacht, is closely linked to Russian billionaire Alexei Mordashov, the owner of the steel giant Severstal. Mordashov doesn't formally own the yacht, but is widely considered its de facto owner — vessel records show that a firm registered under his wife's name held the yacht in 2022.
Mordashov is estimated to be Russia's richest man by Bloomberg's Billionaire Index, which lists his net worth at $29.4 billion, and Forbes, which says his family is worth $37 billion.
With Mordashov under international sanctions, US authorities have sought to seize the Nord for years.
It's unclear how the vessel obtained permission to sail through the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has been attacking ships attempting to pass since late February.
The US military is also blockading the strait, turning back Iranian vessels and any ship leaving or heading to Iranian ports.
Russia and Iran are close allies, and the two have been in close talks since the US and Israel launched their war with Tehran. On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered to mediate in the conflict during a meeting with Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, in St. Petersburg.
Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has plummeted since hostilities began; the Center for Strategic and International Studies reported last week that 187 vessels had transited through the waterway since March 4. Before the war began, about 125 to 140 ships were sailing through the strait daily.
Most of these vessels have been commercial ships or tankers, making the Nord one of the very few private vessels to approach the strait.
The yacht, built by German shipyard Lurssen, can accommodate 36 passengers and features a gym, swimming pool, movie theater, elevator, beauty salon, and two helicopter pads.
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