Denmark detains Iranian-flagged container ship linked to US sanctions

Denmark’s Maritime Authority announced on Thursday, February 19, that it had detained an Iranian-flagged container ship that recently arrived from St. Petersburg and is reportedly linked to US sanctions.

The vessel, identified as Nora, had been anchored in Danish waters when authorities ordered its detention after determining that it was not properly registered. Danish broadcaster TV2 reported that the action was taken because the ship’s documentation could not confirm a valid registration under its stated flag.

The container ship had previously sailed under the flag of the Comoros Islands. However, officials from the Comoros informed Danish authorities that the vessel was not listed in their national registry. Danish maritime officials stated that the ship will remain detained until the flag state provides proof of valid registration and full certification.

“The vessel has been detained until the flag state provides Danish maritime authorities with evidence of its registration and complete certification. An inspection will be conducted once weather conditions allow it to be carried out safely,” the authorities said.

According to TV2, the ship changed its flag from the Comoros Islands to Iran on Wednesday, February 18, shortly before the detention.

Investigations also revealed that Nora carries the same International Maritime Organization (IMO) number as a vessel previously known as Cerus, a container ship included on the US Treasury Department’s sanctions list. IMO numbers are permanent identifiers assigned to ships and remain unchanged regardless of any change in name or flag.

CERUS was sanctioned under the Iran program administered by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and has been linked to Argun Shipping Inc. and Reel Shipping LLC, according to data from LSEG.

Tracking information from the VesselFinder maritime monitoring service shows that the ship’s most recent port call was in Russia’s St. Petersburg, where it was docked on January 16 before departing for Danish waters.