Nord Superyacht Linked to Alexey Mordashov Sails Through Strait of Hormuz Blockade

A Russian-linked superyacht, the 142m-long Nord, sailed through the Strait of Hormuz despite an ongoing blockade of the critical shipping channel, according to BBC reporting.

“- Published A superyacht linked to one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's key allies has sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, despite the ongoing blockade of the critical shipping channel”

BBC

The BBC said Nord is linked to sanctioned Russian billionaire Alexey Mordashov and travelled from Dubai to Muscat, Oman over the weekend, with the yacht leaving Dubai on Friday night and arriving at Al Mouj, a marina in Oman's capital, on Sunday morning.

BBC

The BBC described Nord as one of a few private vessels to transit through the strait in recent months, while maritime traffic through the Gulf channel was “at a fraction of pre-war levels.”

The BBC also reported that approximately one-fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies normally pass through the waterway, and that the conflict contributed to a sharp rise in global oil prices, with Brent rising to $109 (£80) a barrel on Monday.

The International Business Times Australia stated Nord departed a marina in Dubai on Friday evening, April 24, 2026, crossed the strait on Saturday morning, and arrived at Al Mouj Marina in Muscat, Oman early Sunday.

Gulf News similarly said the yacht crossed the blockaded Strait of Hormuz over the April 25-27 weekend, departing a Gulf port Friday night, crossing Saturday, and docking in Muscat, Oman Sunday, citing MarineTraffic data.

The International Business Times Australia and Vox News Albania both described Nord as a luxury yacht valued at about $500 million and linked to Mordashov, while also emphasizing that Mordashov was not the officially listed owner.

The BBC added that Nord’s records indicate it was registered to a firm owned by Mordashov’s wife in 2022, and that it was not clear if Mordashov was on board while it passed through the Strait of Hormuz.

The voyage came as Iran and the United States remained locked in a standoff over the Strait of Hormuz’s reopening, with Iran restricting shipping and the United States enforcing a blockade on Iranian ports, according to the BBC.

The BBC said Iran has continued restricting shipping through the vital waterway after President Donald Trump announced US forces would impose a blockade on Iranian ports, and it described the Russian-flagged Nord as clearing the strait despite private vessels largely avoiding the waterway since the outbreak of hostilities.

Gulf News

The International Business Times Australia described the transit as happening amid an ongoing U.S.-Iran blockade that had “crippled global oil shipping,” and it said “It remains unclear exactly how Nord obtained permission to pass.”

The LBC report added that “Iran is continuing to grant exemptions for Russian-linked shops allowing them to traverse the Strait without any transit fees or threat of attack,” and it said Iran briefly reopened the waterway for commercial traffic on April 17 during a temporary ceasefire but closed it again shortly afterwards accusing the US of ‘piracy’.

Tovima framed the blockade as effectively closed to commercial traffic for “the past eight weeks,” describing “rival blockades imposed by Iran and the United States following the outbreak of hostilities.”

Tovima also said the Nord crossing came as Putin hosted an Iranian delegation in St. Petersburg on Monday, and it tied that meeting to Abbas Araghchi describing the two countries’ “strategic relationship.”

Gulf News reported that the yacht crossed Saturday using an Iran-declared “safe lane,” and it said Iran announced a near-total blockade on the strait after late February clashes with the US/Israel, redirecting 37+ vessels via US Central Command.

Across the outlets, the common thread was that the blockade’s practical effect on ordinary shipping contrasted with the yacht’s ability to move through the chokepoint.

The superyacht’s transit was reported alongside high-level Russia-Iran diplomacy, with the BBC saying Iran engaged with Russia in high-level talks this week as its standoff with the US over the strait's re-opening continued.

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Firstpost

The BBC reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted an Iranian delegation in St Petersburg on Monday, where Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi hailed their "strategic relationship".

The BBC also quoted Putin telling Araghchi that the Iranian people were "courageously fighting" for their sovereignty in the face of American and Israeli pressure, with Tass reporting the remarks.

The BBC said Araghchi shared photos on X showing him smiling and shaking hands with Putin and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, and it included Araghchi’s written statement: "Recent events have evidenced the depth and strength of our strategic partnership. "As our relationship continues to grow, we are grateful for solidarity and welcome Russia's support for diplomacy."

Gulf News similarly tied the yacht’s crossing to Iran-Russia diplomacy, stating that Putin hosted Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in St. Petersburg Monday, praising Iran's "courageous" sovereignty fight against US/Israel pressure.

Firstpost’s live coverage also linked the two developments, stating that “Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi meeting Putin in St. Petersburg” coincided with the superyacht’s rare transit.

Several outlets emphasized that Mordashov is under Western sanctions, with the BBC saying he has been targeted by western sanctions including from the UK, US and European Union since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The BBC and CNA both reported that Mordashov is chairman of Severstal and that his net worth was estimated at about $37bn (£27bn), while also saying it was not clear whether he was on board Nord during the passage.

The outlets framed Nord’s passage as raising questions about enforcement and elite access, even while describing uncertainty about how the yacht obtained clearance.

The International Business Times Australia said the transit “has raised questions about selective enforcement of restrictions” and described it as highlighting Russia-Iran ties during the conflict, while also stating “It remains unclear exactly how Nord obtained permission to pass.”

LBC

The BBC reported that the Russian-flagged Nord managed to clear the strait despite private vessels largely avoiding the waterway, and it noted that it was not clear if Mordashov was on board.

Tovima described the crossing as one of only a few private boats to have transited the strait in recent months, and it said maritime traffic through the Gulf channel was “at a fraction of pre-war levels,” while Brent crude had risen to $109 a barrel, according to BBC News.

Gulf News reported that Nord crossed using an Iran-declared “safe lane,” and it said no official clearance details emerged, fueling speculation of backchannel deals in the oil-war flashpoint.

The BBC and LBC both described the yacht’s ownership structure as not listing Mordashov as the formal owner, with LBC saying records indicate the £370m yacht was registered to a firm owned by the wife of Mordashov in 2022.

CNA and the BBC described Nord’s luxury features, including a swimming pool, submarine, and helipad, with CNA adding a “helicopter landing pad” and citing Superyacht Times.

In parallel, LBC said Marine tracking websites showed Nord departed Dubai and crossed the Strait of Hormuz on April 25 heading to Oman, and it repeated that Iran continued granting exemptions for Russian-linked ships.

The reporting connected Nord’s transit to broader energy and market stakes, with the BBC and other outlets tying the Hormuz chokepoint to global supply and oil prices.

“DUBAI — A $500 million Russian superyacht linked to sanctioned billionaire Alexey Mordashov, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, successfully transited the heavily restricted Strait of Hormuz over the weekend, becoming one of the few private vessels to navigate the critical waterway amid an ongoing U”

International Business Times Australia

The BBC said approximately one-fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies normally pass through the waterway and that the conflict contributed to a sharp rise in global oil prices, with Brent rising to $109 (£80) a barrel on Monday.

mezha.net

Vox News Albania similarly said about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies typically pass through the strategic route and that oil prices had risen sharply, with Brent reaching $109 per barrel.

LBC added that maritime traffic through the Gulf channel was currently at a fraction of pre-war levels and that the conflict had contributed to the rise in global oil prices.

Tovima broadened the picture by describing a second development involving an LNG tanker, saying “The first loaded LNG cargo since the war began appears to have exited the Persian Gulf through Hormuz,” and it identified the tanker as Mubaraz.

Tovima said Mubaraz loaded cargo at Abu Dhabi National Oil Co.’s Das Island facility in the UAE in early March, went dark around March 31, reappeared east of India on April 27, and had a Chinese terminal listed as its destination.

The same outlet said turning off transponders when transiting Hormuz had become standard practice and that several ships carrying Qatari LNG approached Hormuz in recent weeks and were turned back.

Across the set, the reporting pointed to continued volatility and the ongoing standoff over reopening the strait, with the yacht’s arrival in Oman serving as the immediate, observable event.