Ukraine war: US gives 1.1m sets of ammunition taken from Iran to Kyiv

Ukraine war: US gives 1.1m sets of ammunition taken from Iran to Kyiv

Web Desk
October 5, 2023

Ukraine war: US gives 1.1m sets of ammunition taken from Iran to Kyiv

The US gave 1.1m sets of ammunition taken from Iran to Kyiv.
These rounds were seized from a ship en route to Yemen in December.
UN Security Council resolutions have banned arms transfers to the group.

US Central Command (Centcom) reported that approximately 1.1 million bullets confiscated from Iran last year have been sent by the United States to Ukraine.

These rounds were seized from a ship en route to Yemen in December, and they have now been transferred to Ukraine. The ammunition is of 7.62mm caliber and is used in Soviet-era rifles and light machine guns.

US naval forces initially seized these munitions from a stateless vessel named MARWAN 1 on December 9. The US government assumed ownership of the ammunition in July through a process called civil forfeiture, as it suspected the involvement of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the shipment.

Centcom stated that the US is committed to working with allies to counter the flow of Iranian lethal aid in the region through lawful means.

UN Security Council resolutions have banned arms transfers to the group whereas Iran supports Houthi rebels in Yemen’s ongoing civil war.

During discussions at the Warsaw Security Forum in a related context, Adm Rob Bauer noted the need for increased ammunition production as ammunition stocks were running low among Nato countries due to decades of underinvestment.

He urged governments and arms manufacturers to accelerate production. The US has already supplied more than 200 million bullets and grenades to the Ukrainian army.

UK Defence Minister James Heappey called on Nato allies to allocate 2% of their national income to defense, a target agreed upon by the bloc but expected to be met by only 11 of its 31 members this year.

This transfer of Iranian ammunition also comes amid efforts by the Biden administration to provide alternative assistance to Ukraine, as funds allocated for Ukraine have nearly been exhausted, and some members of Congress have opposed additional funds. A vote on further aid is expected to be delayed until a new House Speaker is installed.

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