Danish authorities hold Iran-flagged vessel over registration concerns

Adds detail on vessel and flag states in paragraphs 5-11

COPENHAGEN, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Denmark's maritime authority said on Thursday it had detained an Iran-flagged container vessel anchored in the Nordic country's waters on the grounds that it was not properly registered.

The ship, using the name "Nora" according to LSEG data, was initially sailing under a Comoros flag, but Comoros informed Denmark that the vessel was not found in its registry, the Danish authority told Reuters by email.

"The ship is detained until a flag state can demonstrate to the Danish maritime authority that it is registered and fully certified," the authority said, adding it would conduct a port state inspection of the vessel before it could be released.

"The inspection will be conducted when weather conditions make it safe to do so," it added.

LSEG data show the "Nora" is now under the Iranian flag.

According to Danish broadcaster TV2, which first reported the news, the vessel changed its flag from Comoros to Iran on Wednesday. Reuters was not able to independently verify when the change happened.

The "Nora" shares the same International Maritime Organisation number as a vessel formerly named CERUS, a container ship on the U.S. Treasury's sanctions list, according to LSEG data.

IMO numbers are permanent vessel identifiers that remain unchanged, irrespective of name changes or flag switches.

The CERUS was designated under the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Iran sanctions programme and is linked to Argun Shipping Inc. and Reel Shipping LLC, LSEG data show.

Reuters was not able to reach Argun or Reel Shipping for comment.

The vessel has been lying idle the past 25 days, according to TV2.

(Reporting by Stine Jacobsen, Soren Jeppesen and Louise Rasmussen. Editing by Terje Solsvik and Mark Potter)

((Louisebreusch.rasmussen@tr.com; +45 21 27 97 79;))