An exhaustive examination of the cargo vessel will be performed as soon as weather allows.
Container ship / Illustrative image / © Associated Press
Maritime officials in Denmark have seized a cargo ship originating from St. Petersburg, Russia, after ascertaining it lacked appropriate registration.
As reported by regional news outlets, the craft is possibly facing US penalties owing to connections with Iran’s clandestine fleet.
The investigation uncovered that the cargo vessel, purportedly sailing under the Comoros Islands’ banner, is absent from the naval registry of that nation.
The vessel is presently stationed at anchor in the Kattegat region, situated in northern Denmark.
The Danish press pinpointed the vessel as the cargo ship Nora, previously known as Cerus and targeted by sanctions issued by the US government.
As per the US Department of the Treasury, the vessel forms a segment of an Iranian covert fleet managed by Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, the offspring of Ali Shamkhani, a key counselor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
It’s been stated that the ship has traversed Danish waters on ten occasions over the last year. Information disseminated by the maritime tracking website Vesselfinder indicates the vessel left St. Petersburg on January 16, en route to Egypt.
The Danish Maritime Authority stated a detailed examination of the craft will be undertaken “when weather conditions permit” to guarantee there is no compromise to safety.
It is worth remembering that the cargo ship MSC Giada III, flying the Liberian flag, underwent an explosion within the Gulf of Finland’s waters while approaching the Russian maritime hub in St. Petersburg.