US to transfer weapons confiscated from Iran to Ukraine
It is not yet clear how the US will legally formalize the transfer of weapons - the UN opposes it
The United States will send Ukraine a large shipment of Iranian weapons and ammunition, previously intercepted on its way to Yemen.
Source. This was reported by CNN.
According to US officials, this step will help to partially solve the problem of arms shortage faced by the Ukrainian military.
On Wednesday, October 4, the US Central Command announced the transfer of 1.1 million rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition confiscated from Iran to Ukraine. They were sent on Monday.
"The government took possession of this ammunition on July 20, 2023, as part of a civil forfeiture lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice against the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)," CENTCOM explained.
In January 2023, the US and French navies detained a ship with Iranian weapons in the Gulf of Oman, which was intended for Houthi rebels in Yemen. More than 3,000 assault rifles, 578,000 rounds of ammunition, and 23 anti-tank guided missiles were found on board. The smuggled weapons were sent for storage in the United States.
According to CENTCOM, the operation was not the first, and in total, the United States and its partners seized 5,000 weapons and 1.6 million rounds of ammunition over the two winter months. In addition, the list included 7,000 non-contact bombs.
The White House was looking for legal grounds to transfer the seized arsenal to Ukraine, as under the UN embargo, such weapons must be destroyed or left in their home country for storage. The Justice Department and the Pentagon also worked together to solve the problem. One of the options was civil forfeiture.
Background. As a reminder, Zelenskyy announced the creation of an international arms manufacturing alliance – Kyiv is ready to offer "special conditions" to firms that decide to manufacture weapons in Ukraine.
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