US to hand over confiscated Iranian weapons and ammunition to Ukraine

The United States plans to transfer confiscated Iranian weapons and ammunition to Ukraine to help overcome the shortage of weapons needed by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

CNN reported this, quoting officials. According to the American media, this operation could help alleviate some of the critical shortages facing the Ukrainian Army as Kyiv awaits more funds and equipment from the US and Western allies.

“The United States will transfer thousands of confiscated Iranian weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, which could help overcome the critical shortage facing the Ukrainian army, which is awaiting additional money and equipment from the United States and its allies,” the statement said.

Picture credit: US Department of Defense

According to the officials, the US Central Command will announce this this week.

The US Justice Department announced in March a confiscation of one million rounds of Iranian ammunition, thousands of proximity fuses for rocket-propelled grenades, and thousands of pounds of fuel for rocket-propelled grenades that the US Navy seized from Iran as it was being transferred to Yemen.

Over the past year, the US Navy has seized thousands of Iranian assault rifles and more than one million rounds of ammunition from ships employed by Iran to ship weapons to Yemen. The seizures target ships on routes usually used to smuggle weapons to the Houthi rebels in Yemen.

In January, the US forces assisted the French military in seizing 3 thousands of assault rifles and dozens of anti-tank guided missiles headed from Iran to Yemen.

The American media notes that it needs to be clarified what legal authority the country will use to transfer the weapons, as the UN requires that the seized weapons be destroyed or stored.

The weapons are currently being held at CENTCOM facilities in the Middle East.