2024-04-09T19:22:29+00:00
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/ Agence France-Presse reported on Tuesday that the US army sent Iranian light weapons and ammunition, which it confiscated while trying to transfer them to the Houthis in Yemen.
The French agency explained that the arms transfer took place last week at a time when Ukraine is suffering from a major ammunition shortage and while Congress is obstructing the provision of new aid, but it does not meet Kiev’s needs for basic equipment such as artillery and ammunition used in air defense systems.
The US Central Command (Centcom) said on social media, “The United States government transferred more than 5,000 AK-47 (Kalashnikov weapons), machine guns, sniper rifles, an RPG-7, and more than 500,000 pieces of 7.62 mm ammunition to Ukrainian Armed Forces” last week.
She added, “These weapons will help Ukraine defend itself against the Russian invasion,” and there is enough equipment to arm a battalion.
Centcom reported that weapons and ammunition were confiscated between May 2021 and February 2023 from four “non-state vessels” during their transfer from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard to the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
She explained, “The government took ownership of these munitions on December 1, 2023 through civil confiscation through the Ministry of Justice.”
The Houthis have been targeting ships in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea since November 2023 in attacks they say are in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza, in an international security challenge that threatens a major shipping route.
Centcom said, “Iran’s support for armed groups threatens international and regional security, our forces, diplomats, and citizens in the region, in addition to our partners. We will continue to do whatever is necessary to highlight and stop Iran’s destabilizing activities.”
The United States had previously carried out a similar transfer for Ukraine in early October 2023, and provided it with 1.1 million 7.62 mm rounds that had been confiscated on their way from Iranian forces to Yemen.
However, the provision of heavy military aid, such as artillery shells and ammunition for air defense systems, which are of pivotal importance in the current fighting, is suspended until further notice after Republicans in the House of Representatives, since last year, obstructed the approval of a $60 billion support package requested by the administration of Democratic President Joe Biden for Ukraine.
The suspension of US aid prompted Kiev forces to legalize their use of ammunition, in light of the ambiguity surrounding when the United States will resume military support.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned during a hearing before a Senate committee on Tuesday that Washington’s failure to fulfill its obligations towards Ukraine may embolden the United States’ opponents.
He said that this “would send a signal that the United States is an unreliable partner, and this would encourage autocrats around the world to do the things that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin did.”
Last month, the United States announced the provision of $300 million in aid to Ukraine, the first since December 2023. But Washington warned that this package, which included artillery shells and ammunition for air defense and anti-armor systems, would quickly run out.
This package was financed using funds provided by Congress for other purchases, which allowed the US administration to provide support to Ukraine despite the impasse in Congress.
The United States has been the largest Western supporter of Ukraine since the Russian invasion began in February 2022, and has provided it tens of billions of dollars.