US sends seized Iran weapons and ammo to Ukraine
- Small arms and ammunition were being sent to Tehran-backed Houthis in Yemen
- Ukraine is suffering from shortages, as US Republican lawmakers block new aid
Washington has given Ukraine small arms and ammunition that were seized while being sent from Iranian forces to Tehran-backed rebels in Yemen, the US military said.
The transfer last week came as Ukraine suffers from significant shortages of ammunition and US Republican lawmakers block new aid funding, but it does not address Kyiv’s need for key items such as artillery and air defence munitions.
“The US government transferred over 5,000 AK-47s, machine guns, sniper rifles, RPG-7s and over 500,000 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition to the Ukrainian armed forces” on Thursday, the US Central Command (Centcom) said on social media on Tuesday.
“These weapons will help Ukraine defend against Russia’s invasion” and are enough material to equip a brigade, it said.
The arms and ammunition were seized between May 2021 and February 2023 from four “stateless vessels” as the supplies were being transferred from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards to Yemen’s Houthi rebels, Centcom said.
“The government obtained ownership of these munitions on December 1, 2023, through the Department of Justice’s civil forfeiture claims,” it said.
The Houthis have been targeting vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November 2023 in attacks they say are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza – a significant international security challenge that threatens a major shipping lane.