U.S. transfers seized iranian weapons to Ukraine

Shafaq News/ The U.S. CENTCOM announced on Tuesday that it has transferred thousands of infantry weapons and over 500,000 rounds of ammunition to Ukraine, which were seized over a year ago en route to Ansaralah Houthi forces in Yemen by Iran.

This recent hardware delivery is the latest military aid from President Joe Biden's administration to support Kyiv in its efforts to reclaim territories occupied by Russia.

However, further U.S. weaponry assistance to Ukraine has been halted due to Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson's refusal to schedule a vote on $60 billion in new security aid.

As Ukrainian forces face shortages in weapons, munitions, and hefty artillery rounds, the U.S. and its allies are exploring alternative strategies to bolster Kyiv's arsenal.

CENTCOM said the hardware included more than 5,000 AK-47 assault rifles, machine guns, sniper rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, and more than 500,000 rounds of ammunition.

According to the U.S. Command, these munitions were initially seized from four transiting stateless vessels between 22 May 2021 and 15 Feb 2023.

"The munitions were being transferred from the IRGC to the Houthis in Yemen in violation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2216."

"U.S. CENTCOM is committed to working with our allies and partners to counter the flow of Iranian lethal aid in the region by all lawful means including U.S. and U.N. sanctions and through interdictions," said in a statement.

"Iran's support for armed groups threatens international and regional security, our forces, diplomatic personnel, and citizens in the region, as well as those of our partners. We will continue to do whatever we can to shed light on and stop Iran's destabilizing activities."

Iranian authorities did not comment on the incident.

In October, the U.S. sent around 1.1 million 7.62mm rounds of ammunition to Ukraine as part of confiscated Iranian military equipment, as reported by the Department of Justice.

Despite the ongoing rationing of supplies by Ukraine's armed forces, Congress has yet to decide whether to send further aid.

The U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized the urgency of passing supplemental funding to support Kyiv during a press conference on Tuesday.

"It's imperative," he said.