A Russian superyacht linked to sanctioned billionaire Alexey Mordashov has safely sailed through theStrait of Hormuz, reported Reuters, citing shipping data. Nord - a 142-meter (465-foot) yacht worth over $500 million - has become one the very few vessels to transit the blockaded shipping lane.

The Nord left a Dubai marina at around 1400 GMT on Friday, crossed the strait on Saturday morning, and arrived in Muscat early on Sunday, according to data on the MarineTraffic platform, the report said.

It is not clear how the multi-deck pleasure vessel gained permission to use the route.

Iran has engaged with Russia in high-level talks this week as its standoff with the US over the strait's re-opening continues.

Since February, Iran has severely restricted traffic through ⁠the Strait of Hormuz, which typically handles around one-fifth of the world's oil supply, while the US has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports. Due to the ongoing conflict, seafarers have been stranded in the waterway for over eight weeks now.

Approximately 20,000 seafarers aboard hundreds of vessels, including oil tankers and cargo ships, remain trapped in the Gulf, unable to navigate the critical Strait of Hormuz.

Recent data from Lloyd’s List Intelligence indicates a stark decline in vessel transits, with only about 80 vessels passing through the strait during the week of April 13-19, compared to over 130 daily before the onset of the conflict. The United Nations reports that at least 10 seafarers have lost their lives since the conflict escalated.

Despite US President Donald Trump's indefinite extension of the ceasefire, the blockade of Iranian ports continues, prompting Iran to retaliate by targeting ships in the strait.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says a purported offer from Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz under strict conditions is not acceptable to the United States or others, adding that preventing Iran from a nuclear weapon ‘remains the core issue’ of the US campaign.

Speaking in a Monday interview with Fox News, Rubio said Iran has a different view of the strategic waterway than most of the rest of the world. “What they mean by opening the straits is, yes, the straits are open, as long as you coordinate with Iran, get our permission, or we’ll blow you up and you pay us,” Rubio said.

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