A mega-yacht linked to a sanctioned Russian oligarch passed through the congested Strait of Hormuz earlier today, according to tracking data.
The Nord (IMO: 9853785), a nearly 142-meter-long (466-foot) yacht said to be one of the largest in the world, departed Dubai in the United Arab Emirates last night and then passed through the strategic waterway overnight, according to data from maritime intelligence provider MarineTraffic. The data shows it is heading for Muscat, Oman, reports CNN, reports Express.
A yacht broker previously told CNN that the vessel is estimated to cost at least $500 million and is widely believed to belong to Alexey Mordashov, the chairman of a Russian steel and mining giant and one of Russia's richest billionaires. The Associated Press has reported that Mordashov is the owner of the vessel.
The yacht, about 1.5 times the size of an American football field, appears to have followed a route that passes near the Iranian island of Larak, which Lloyd's List Intelligence has previously said is used by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to control entry to the strait.
CNN previously reported that the US State Department sanctioned Mordashov in 2022, along with three of his companies, his wife and two adult children.
The Nord yacht has two helipads and would typically have an extensive staff on board, including a full-time chef, fitness instructor and massage therapist, yacht broker Michael Maximilian Bognier told CNN in 2022.
It remains to be seen whether the mega-yacht's voyage will be affected by the US military presence in the region, including a naval blockade that US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told reporters yesterday is "expanding and taking on global proportions."
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