Green light for billionaires: the yacht of the Russian oligarch passed through the Strait of Hormuz

The superyacht of the Russian billionaire passed through the Strait of Hormuz. This is reported by CNN with reference to MarineTraffic data.

World markets are anxiously watching the situation around the Strait of Hormuz and warnings about possible dangers to shipping. Meanwhile, the 142-meter superyacht, associated with Russian billionaire Alexei Mordashov, serenely passed through one of the most stressful sea routes on the planet.

The yacht Nord, the estimated cost of which is about $ 500 million, left Dubai and passed through the strait at night, heading to Muscat, Oman. According to Lloyd's List Intelligence, her route passed near the Iranian island of Larak, which is a strategically important place, as the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps controls access to the strait.

The Strait of Hormuz continues to play a key role in the international oil trade, being an important strategic point.

Yacht Nord, one of the largest in the world, is one and a half times longer than an American football field. This vessel is associated with Alexei Mordashov, an influential entrepreneur who owns metallurgical and mining enterprises and is one of the richest people in Russia.

Since 2022, Mordashov has been under sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union. The restrictions affected not only himself, but also some of his companies, as well as family members.

Although the sanctions do not formally imply an automatic ban on the movement of private vessels in international waters, unless they are arrested by a specific jurisdiction, the very fact that the billionaire's yacht, which fell under Western restrictions, calmly passed through one of the most protected straits in the world, causes symbolic associations.

For energy companies, the Strait of Hormuz is a strategically important hub that causes serious concerns. For Western economies, this region is a source of concern.

And for the owner of a luxury vessel, the strait is just another stage on the way to the next point of the route. Hormuz continues to be a bottleneck in world politics, but, as this case shows, its importance is not the same for everyone.