Military officials from the US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed Wednesday (October 4) that the Iranian weapons and ammunition seized by the US would be sent to Ukraine. This move would alleviate some of the critical shortages facing the Ukrainian military as it awaits more financial and logistical assistance from the US and its allies.
In a press release, CENTCOM said it had already transferred over one million rounds of the seized ammunition to the Ukrainians last Monday (October 2).
"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 said.
The Justice Department announced last March that it was seeking the forfeiture of one million rounds of Iranian ammunition, as well as thousands of proximity fuses for rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), and tons of fuel for RPGs that the US Navy seized from Iran over the past year as it was in transit to Yemen, CNN reported.
"These munitions were originally seized by US Central Command naval forces from the transiting stateless dhow MARWAN 1, December 9, 2022," the statement added. "The munitions were being transferred from the IRGC to the Houthis in Yemen in violation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2216."
The shipment came weeks after five Americans held in Tehran were returned to US soil as part of a prisoner swap in exchange for Washington unfreezing about $6 billion in oil revenue.
Guns From Iran to Ukraine
For months, the Biden administration has deliberated how to legally send the seized weapons currently stored in CENTCOM facilities across the Middle East to the Ukrainians.
It was said that the weapons and ammunition were frequently transported aboard small stateless vessels that use routes historically used to smuggle weapons to the Houthis in Yemen.
In mid-January alone, a Franco-American operation led to the seizure of around 3,000 Iranian assault rifles bound for Yemen and 23 anti-tank guided missiles.
Justice Department and defense officials have been collaborating to find a legal loophole to send the weapons to Ukraine, officials added, with one option being passing them over through the US's civil forfeiture authorities, of which at least two complaints were filed against seized Iranian ammunition and weapons this year.
"At the end of the day, Ukraine needs various supplies for the war effort, and while this isn't a solution to all of Ukraine's military needs, it will provide critical support," Center for a New American Security senior fellow Jonathan Lord said in a Washington Post op-ed last February.
Lord also stated that the move could seriously affect Iran's relationship with Russia. It can be recalled that Russia was heavily relying on Iranian-made drones to attack Ukrainian cities.
"There is poetic justice in Ukraine utilizing seized Iranian weapons to defend its people against Russia's criminal invasion and abuses," he added. "Additionally, this policy may put greater pressure on the burgeoning relationship between Moscow and Tehran."
