Russian super yacht navigates Strait of Hormuz blockades

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While oil tankers lie at anchor, a super yacht connected to a sanctioned Russian oligarch has made its way through the blockaded Strait of Hormuz. The $500m boat, which has 20 cabins, a submarine and a helipad, is believed to be owned by Alexei Mordashov, chairman of Russia’s largest steel and mining company. It left Dubai on Friday and reached Oman’s capital Muscat on Sunday, using a designated route set by Iran. The voyage was completed just before Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi held talks with Vladimir Putin in Moscow. It is not known if the vessel had Iranian permission for the journey or paid a toll. It is also not clear if it got approval from US warships, which are enforcing a blockade. Mordashov was sanctioned by the US, UK and Europe after the invasion of Ukraine, when one of his smaller boats was seized in Italy.