The United States transfer confiscated Iranian ammunition to Ukraine

4 October, 2023 A dhow with weapons intercepted in the Gulf of Oman. January 15, 2023. Photo credits: U.S.

Navy The United States handed over a batch of confiscated Iranian ammunition to Ukraine. The U.S.

Central Command (CENTCOM) reported on this. The U.S. government transferred approximately 1.1 million 7.62mm rounds to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. 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).

These munitions were originally seized by U.S. Central Command naval forces from the transiting dhow on December 9, 2022.

A dhow with weapons intercepted in the Gulf of Oman. January 15, 2023.

Photo credits: U.S. Navy

The munitions were being transferred from the IRGC to the Houthis in Yemen in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2216. "The U.S. is committed to working with our allies and partners to counter the flow of Iranian lethal aid in the region by all lawful means," CENTCOM said.

Previously, it was unclear how the transfer of weapons would be legally formalized, as the UN requires that captured weapons be destroyed or stored. For several months, Biden's administration has been thinking about how to legally transfer weapons stored at CENTCOM facilities across the Middle East to Ukraine. This could help alleviate the arms shortage faced by Ukrainian troops, who are awaiting additional equipment from the United States and its allies.

A dhow with weapons intercepted in the Gulf of Oman. January 15, 2023. Photo credits: U.S.

Navy

In February 2023, it was reported that the United States planned to transfer more than 5,000 assault rifles and 1.6 million rounds of ammunition for small arms.

They also planned to hand over a small number of anti-tank missiles and more than 7,000 proximity fuzes seized from Iranian smugglers.