Magical! Putin's Ally's Superyacht Successfully Breaches Hormuz Strait Blockade
A luxury superyacht closely associated with an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz. The vessel glided through smoothly amid the tight blockade imposed by Iran, which continues to bar most international ships from passing through one of the world’s most strategic shipping routes.
Citing Newsweek on Tuesday (28/04/2026), the yacht named Nord is connected to billionaire Alexey Mordashov, who is on the Western sanctions list. According to ship tracking data, Nord sailed from Dubai, the luxury hub of the United Arab Emirates, on Friday and arrived in Oman’s capital, Muscat, on Sunday morning local time.
This success is particularly striking as it is one of the few private vessels able to navigate the Strait of Hormuz since the outbreak of war between the United States-Israel and Iran on 28 February. Since the conflict began, Tehran has threatened to attack any ships deemed unfriendly, a move that has triggered extraordinary turmoil in the global energy markets.
The term “privilege” for Russia is strongly suspected to be related to the increasingly close diplomatic relations between the two countries. Iran is a close ally of Russia and recently praised the deep strategic ties between the two nations when Tehran’s top diplomats met with Kremlin leaders.
On the other hand, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz remains highly tense for other commercial shipping. Although the United States has imposed a counter-blockade on Iranian ports, Tehran refuses to relinquish control of the strait. At least 10 people have been killed around the strait in the last two months, and 29 ships have been targeted in attacks.
Iran’s military force, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), even confirmed last week that they had seized two cargo ships and fired upon a third. The scale of the disruption is massive, with more than 20,000 people on over 1,600 ships estimated to be stranded around the strait due to reluctance to cross.
The Nord yacht itself is no ordinary vessel. This 142-metre-long ship is estimated to be worth more than US$500 million (Rp8.62 trillion). Its facilities include a private helipad and space for 36 guests. Although not officially registered in Mordashov’s name, company records show that this magnificent yacht has been registered under a Russian company owned by Mordashov’s wife since 2022.
Alexey Mordashov is the majority shareholder of Russian steel producer Severstal, with a reported net worth of nearly US$30 billion (Rp517.59 trillion) in 2022. He was sanctioned by the US, UK, and EU due to his ties to the Kremlin shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The closeness between Russia and Iran was reaffirmed by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during his meeting with Putin on Monday. He expressed gratitude for Russia’s support amid Western pressure.
“As our relations continue to develop, we thank you for this solidarity and welcome Russia’s support for diplomacy,” Araghchi said in a brief statement on social media.
The Kremlin also expressed its readiness to offer “mediation services” in future US-Iran talks. The meeting has sparked speculation as to whether Putin, known for his personal relationship with US President Donald Trump, could bring Tehran and Washington back to the negotiating table for a peace agreement.