Title: United States Supplies Ukraine with Confiscated Iranian Ammunition to Aid Fight Against Authoritarian Regime
Date: Thu 5 Oct 2023 02.05 CEST
In a significant development, the United States has supplied Ukraine with over a million rounds of Iranian ammunition that was confiscated in the Gulf last year. This transfer comes as part of a civil forfeiture case pursued by the US justice department, claiming ownership of the ordnance on the grounds that it was being smuggled to Yemeni Houthi forces, thereby breaching a UN arms embargo.
The justice department’s actions have been applauded as they now directly support the Ukrainian people in their fight against another authoritarian regime, according to US Attorney General Merrick Garland. “We will continue to use every legal authority at our disposal to support Ukraine in their fight for freedom, democracy, and the rule of law,” he stated on Wednesday.
The Iranian ammunition seized includes 1.1 million 7.62mm rounds, as well as proximity fuses for rocket-propelled grenades. These munitions were intercepted from a stateless dhow named Marwan1 on 9 December 2022 by US Central Command naval vessels. The US has attributed the shipment to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and its intended recipient as the Houthi allies in the Yemeni civil war.
Since their seizure, these munitions have been kept in warehouses in the Middle East. The US court launched a forfeiture claim in March, resulting in the United States gaining ownership on 20 July.
The justice department has further claimed forfeiture of other confiscated weapons from various caches, including 9,000 assault rifles, 284 machine guns, approximately 194 rocket launchers, and more than 70 anti-tank guided missiles.
This transfer of confiscated Iranian weapons to Ukraine comes at a time when Western defense ministries express concern about their ability to continually arm Kyiv amid Russia’s relentless war of attrition.
Adm Rob Bauer, the Dutch chair of the NATO military committee and the alliance’s highest-ranking military official, raised alarm at a conference in Warsaw, stating, “The bottom of the barrel is now visible.”
The transfer of these Iranian munitions to Ukraine aims to bolster the nation’s defense capabilities in the face of ongoing aggression. The international community continues to closely monitor the situation as tensions remain high in the region.