Russian Billionaire's Yacht Defies Hormuz Restrictions
A superyacht linked to sanctioned Russian billionaire Alexei Mordashov has sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, despite severely restricted shipping in the area due to the conflict between the United States and Iran, according to shipping data.
The vessel, Nord, measuring 142 m in length and valued at more than $500m, left the port of Dubai on Friday afternoon. It crossed the strait on Saturday morning and arrived in Muscat on Sunday, according to data from the MarineTraffic platform. How the yacht obtained permission remains unclear.
Nord's passage is among a handful of exceptions as shipping traffic through the strait remains subdued. At least seven ships have passed through the strategic waterway in the past 24 hours, according to the latest data. These included vessels from Iraqi ports and one ship from Iran.
Current traffic represents only a fraction of normal activity before the war began on 28 February, when approximately 140 ships passed through the strait daily. The US has diverted 37 vessels since imposing the blockade on Iran.