The United States has announced that it will be transferring thousands of seized Iranian weapons and rounds of ammunition to Ukraine in an effort to help address critical shortages in the Ukrainian military. This move comes as Ukraine awaits further support from the US and its allies.
According to CNN, US Central Command has already transferred over one million rounds of seized Iranian ammunition to the Ukrainian armed forces. This transfer took place on Monday and aims to alleviate some of the immediate challenges faced by the Ukrainian military.
The seized munitions were obtained by the US government on July 20, 2023, through the Department of Justice’s civil forfeiture claims against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). In March, the US Justice Department had announced its intention to seek the forfeiture of one million rounds of Iranian ammunition, proximity fuses for rocket-propelled grenades, and propellant for rocket-propelled grenades that were intercepted by US Central Command naval forces in December 2022.
The Biden administration has been carefully considering the legal pathways to send these seized weapons to Ukraine. The stored munitions are currently located in CENTCOM facilities across the Middle East.
US President Joe Biden recently reiterated his commitment to supporting Ukraine in defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity. During his speech at the United Nations General Assembly, Biden addressed Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine and called upon world leaders to stand up against such behavior.
Biden emphasized the importance of upholding the core principles of the UN Charter and warned that appeasing an aggressor would undermine the security of all member states. He stressed that allowing Ukraine to be divided would compromise the independence of other nations.