U.S. Sends Thousands Of Machine Guns, Rocket Launchers & Ammunition Seized From Iran To Ukraine

The United States government transferred over 5,000 AK-47s, machine guns, RPG-7s, sniper rifles, and more than 500,000 rounds of ammunition (7.62 mm) to the Ukrainian Forces on April 4, 2024.

The transfer of this weaponry is intended to assist Ukraine in defending itself against the assaults from Russia. U.S. Central Command and partner naval forces captured the guns and ammunition from four separate stateless vessels between May 22, 2021 and February 15, 2023.

The munitions were intended for transfer from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to the Yemeni Houthis, which was a violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2216.

The Department of Justice filed civil forfeiture claims against the IRGC, and on December 1, 2023, the United States government became the owner of these munitions.

U.S. Central Command claims the transfer includes enough supplies to arm a single Ukrainian brigade with small rifles.

The support comes from the U.S. as Ukrainian forces are struggling to maintain supplies of weaponry and ammunition in their war with Russia.

A Ukrainian brigade usually consists of 3500 to 4000 soldiers, though the precise number is still being determined.

The Republican House Speaker, Mike Johnson, has prevented more U.S. weapons from entering Ukraine by refusing to call a vote, despite efforts by the Biden Administration to offer extra support, including $60 Billion in security funding.

The United States continues its efforts to support Ukraine and fight Ukraine’s disruptive actions in the region. The transfer of ammunition from stolen Iranian military equipment is one aspect of that effort.

Iran’s representative to the U.N. refused to comment on the seized weaponry, stating that they cannot comment on weapons and armaments that have never belonged to them.

Along with this most recent shipment of weapons, the U.S. gave the Ukrainian armed forces more than a million rounds of ammunition that had been taken from Iran in October.

The U.S. Navy captured thousands of Iranian weapons and over a million rounds of ammunition from ships that Iran was using to arm the Houthis during the previous year.

The seizures, which are often carried out in collaboration with local partner forces, target small, unregistered vessels that have previously been used to transport weaponry to the Houthis in Yemen.

Reference: Reuters, CNN

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Source: Maritime Shipping News