US transfers thousands of seized Iranian guns, rocket launchers and munitions to Ukraine to defend against Russia

The US has transferred greater than 5,000 AK-47s, rocket launchers and tons of of 1000’s of rounds of ammunition seized from Iran to Ukraine because it tries to defend in opposition to Russia, the US Central Command has introduced. Ukraine has been dealing with extreme shortages of weapons and munitions on the battlefield in its raging battle in opposition to Russia, with the US unable to ship extra tools from its stockpiles till extra funding is authorised by the much-divided Congress.

On April 4, 2024, the US authorities transferred over 5,000 AK-47s, machine weapons, sniper rifles, RPG-7s and over 500,000 rounds of seven.62mm ammunition to the Ukrainian armed forces, CENTCOM mentioned.

It mentioned the fabric transferred to Ukraine is sufficient to equip one Ukrainian brigade – round 4,000 personnel – with small-arms rifles. “These weapons will assist Ukraine defend in opposition to Russia’s invasion,” CENTCOM mentioned in a press release on Tuesday.

The US authorities obtained possession of those munitions on December 1, 2023, by means of the Division of Justice’s civil forfeiture claims in opposition to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The munitions have been initially seized by the US army and its companions “from 4 separate transiting stateless vessels between 22 Might 2021 to fifteen Feb 2023,” the assertion mentioned. The US transferred over a million rounds of seized Iranian ammunition to the Ukrainian armed forces in October, CNN reported. Over the previous yr, the US Navy has seized 1000’s of Iranian assault rifles and a couple of million rounds of ammunition from vessels utilized by Iran to ship weapons to the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.

The seizures, steadily carried out with regional associate forces, goal small stateless vessels on routes traditionally used to smuggle weapons to the Houthis.

For the final yr, the Biden administration has been working to legally ship the seized weapons, that are saved in CENTCOM amenities throughout the Center East, to the Ukrainian army.

The munitions have been being transferred from the IRGC to the Houthis in Yemen in violation of the United Nations Safety Council Decision 2216.

“U.S. CENTCOM is dedicated to working with our allies and companions to counter the move of Iranian deadly help within the area by all lawful means together with U.S. and U.N. sanctions and thru interdictions.

“Iran’s assist for armed teams threatens worldwide and regional safety, our forces, diplomatic personnel, and residents within the area, in addition to these of our companions. We are going to proceed to do no matter we are able to to make clear and cease Iran’s destabilising actions,” the CENTCOM assertion mentioned.