Thousands of AK-47 assault rifles sit on the flight deck of guided-missile destroyer USS The Sullivans (DDG 68) during an inventory process, Jan. 7. Photo By: U.S. Navy
The United States has begun transferring seized Iranian weapons and ammunition to Ukraine to alleviate some of the critical shortages facing Kiev forces.
In a statement released on October 4, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it had transferred approximately 1.1 million 7.62 mm 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),” the statement says. “These munitions were originally seized by the U.S. CENTCOM naval forces from the transiting stateless dhow MARWAN 1, Dec. 9, 2022. The munitions were being transferred from the IRGC to the Houthis in Yemen in violation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2216.”
Last March, the Justice Department announced that it was seeking the forfeiture of one million rounds of Iranian ammunition, thousands of proximity fuses for rocket-propelled grenades and thousands of pounds of propellant for rocket-propelled grenades that the U.S. Navy seized from Iran as it was in transit to Yemen.
In addition, the department said in July that it was seeking the forfeiture of “over 9,000 rifles, 284 machine guns, approximately 194 rocket launchers, over 70 anti-tank guided missiles, and over 700,000 rounds of ammunition” seized from Iran by the Navy. This shipment has not been delivered to Ukraine yet.
The Biden administration has for months been weighing how to legally send the seized weapons, which are stored in CENTCOM facilities across the Middle East, to Ukraine.
CENTCOM naval forces and its allies seized loads of Iranian weapons and ammunition in recent years. However, most of the seized shipments included nothing but light assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades.
These seized Iranian weapons will not certainly solve the shortage problems of Kiev forces, nor improve their capabilities in any way.
The U.S. hopes that the transfer of these weapons could drive a wedge between Russia and Iran who stepped up military cooperation after the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine. However, the insignificance of these weapons and the fact that Tehran has nothing to do with this move means that this dream will not materialize.
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and how will you “alleviate” some of the critical and growing shortages of nazi soldiers?!
like always, catch in ucropistan now all students and all above 50 year old, and pull in more mercs and nato soldiers dressed in ucro uniforms. but even this is only a short to mid term solution, because what after that?
usa scraping the bottom of the barrel. sending guerilla weapons into a full on war to fight 1000kg guided bombs, drones and missiles.
how embarrassing for the worlds so called super power.