US gives Ukraine weapons seized from Iran

WASHINGTON has given Ukraine small arms and ammunition that were seized while being sent from Iranian forces to Tehran-backed rebels in Yemen, the US military said yesterday.

The transfer last week came as Ukraine suffers significant shortages of ammunition and US Republican MPs block new aid, but it does not address Kyiv’s need for key items such as artillery and air defence munitions.

“The US government transferred over 5 000 AK-47s, machine guns, sniper rifles, RPG-7s and over 500 000 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition to the Ukrainian armed forces” on Thursday, the US Central Command (Centcom) said on social media. “These weapons will help Ukraine defend against Russia’s invasion” and are enough material to equip a brigade, it said.

The arms and ammunition were seized between May 2021 and February 2023 from four “stateless vessels” as the supplies were being transferred from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards to Yemen’s Houthi rebels, Centcom said.

“The government obtained ownership of these munitions on December 1, 2023, through the Department of Justice’s civil forfeiture claims,” it said.

The Houthis have been targeting vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November last year in attacks they say are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza – a significant international security challenge that threatens a major shipping lane.

“Iran’s support for armed groups threatens international and regional security, our forces, diplomatic personnel, and citizens in the region, as well as those of our partners. We will continue to do whatever we can to shed light on and stop Iran’s destabilising activities,” Centcom said.

Washington made a similar transfer to Ukraine in October, providing 1.1 million rounds of 7.62mm ammunition seized from Iranian forces on the way to Yemen. But delivery of crucial artillery and air defence munitions to Ukraine has been held up by Republican lawmakers who have stalled a $60 billion (R1 trillion) support package in the US Congress.