Russian-linked superyacht crosses Strait of Hormuz amid restricted traffic

Mucahithan Avcioglu

A superyacht linked to sanctioned Russian billionaire Alexey Mordashov crossed the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend, becoming one of the few vessels to transit the restricted waterway at the center of the US-Iran conflict, according to ship-tracking data.

The Nord departed a marina in Dubai at around 1400GMT on Friday, crossed the strait on Saturday morning and arrived in Muscat early Sunday, data from MarineTraffic showed.

The Strait of Hormuz, located at the entrance to the Gulf, normally handles about one-fifth of the global oil supply. However, since the start of the Iran conflict on Feb. 28, only a limited number of vessels — mostly merchant ships — have been transiting the waterway each day.

Prior to the conflict, the strait typically saw around 125 to 140 vessel passages daily.

The US has imposed restrictions on Iranian ports as part of its response to Tehran’s actions in the waterway.

Mordashov, a steel magnate and main shareholder of Severstal, was sanctioned by the US and EU following Russia’s war in Ukraine due to his ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The yacht’s transit comes as Russia and Iran, longstanding allies, continue to deepen ties. The two countries signed a treaty in 2025 to strengthen cooperation, including in intelligence and security.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi arrived in Russia on Monday for talks with President Vladimir Putin following discussions with mediators in Pakistan and Oman over the weekend.