COMING THROUGH

$500M Russian Superyacht Makes Mystery Hormuz Blockade Run

Neither Iran nor the U.S. interfered with the mega yacht’s movement.

A Russian-flagged superyacht passed through the Strait of Hormuz unscathed as the key passage remains closed for commercial ships. The $500 million superyacht is owned by Russia’s richest man, Alexei Mordashov, an ally of Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin. The 465-foot multi-deck boat known as Nord left a port in Dubai on Friday and passed through the Strait the following day. It is currently docked in Oman. The Strait has been closed for weeks as a result of Trump’s war with Iran, but Reuters reported that neither Iran nor the U.S. interfered with the Russian vessel. “Iran ​did not interfere with the movement of the yacht, as it is a civilian vessel of a friendly country conducting a peaceful transit. The American side also ​raised no questions regarding the yacht’s movement, as it did not ​call at Iranian ports and has no connection to Iran,” a source told the outlet. Reuters noted it remains unclear how the superyacht gained permission to travel through the closed waterway. Russia is a longtime ally of Iran and has reportedly been providing intelligence to Iran on U.S. military targets.