The US has transferred over one million rounds of seized Iranian ammunition to the Ukrainian armed forces, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Wednesday.
The move could help Ukraine to replenish its dwindling supplies of ammunition and continue to fight Russia while it waits for more money and weapons from the US and its allies.
“The government obtained ownership of these munitions on July 20, 2023, through the Department of Justice’s civil forfeiture claims against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC),” the statement by CENTCOM said.
The ammunition was seized by the US Navy in December 2022 from a stateless dhow that was transporting it from Iran to Yemen.
The US said that the ammunition was being transferred in violation of a UN Security Council resolution that prohibits Iran from supplying weapons to Yemen.
“These munitions were originally seized by U.S. Central Command naval forces from the transiting stateless dhow MARWAN 1, Dec. 9, 2022. The munitions were being transferred from the IRGC to the Houthis in Yemen in violation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2216,” the statement added.
The Biden administration had been weighing how to legally send the seized weapons to Ukraine for months.
In July, the US Justice Department announced that it was seeking the forfeiture of over 9,000 rifles, 284 machine guns, approximately 194 rocket launchers, over 70 anti-tank guided missiles, and over 700,000 rounds of ammunition seized from Iran.
The Justice Department and defence officials have been working together to find a legal pathway to send the weapons to Ukraine, and one way is through the US's civil forfeiture authorities.
Under civil forfeiture laws, the government can seize property that is believed to have been used in a crime or to have been obtained through criminal activity.
The decision to send the seized weapons to Ukraine could have global implications.
Over the last year, the US Navy has claimed stopping many Iranian assault rifles and lots of bullets from being sent to Yemen.
