U.S. sending seized Iranian ammunition to Ukraine
The move comes as the Defense Department runs low on money to transfer arms to Kyiv.
The Pentagon has transferred more than 1 million rounds of ammunition seized from Iran to Ukraine, the U.S. military announced Wednesday, a move that comes as congressional infighting threatens to delay or derail aid to Kyiv.
The transfer, which took place Monday, is aimed at helping Kyiv’s forces push through Russia’s defensive lines before winter arrives. It comes as funding for Ukraine has fallen victim to political infighting in the House, where a group of hardline Republican members are opposing any additional aid to the conflict.
Lawmakers over the weekend passed a last-minute spending bill to avert a government shutdown through mid-November, but stripped the legislation of Ukraine funding.
The shipment of 1.1 million 7.62 mm rounds to the Ukrainian armed forces has been in the works for months, according to U.S. Central Command spokesperson Capt. Abigail Hammock.
U.S. Navy forces originally seized the munitions, which can be fired by AK-47 rifles, from a stateless dhow that was shipping them from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to the Houthis in Yemen on Dec. 9, 2023, according to a statement.
The U.S. government seized the munitions through the Department of Justice's civil forfeiture claims against the IRGC on July 20, according to the statement.
"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 including U.S. and U.N. sanctions and through interdictions," according to the statement.
The Pentagon has $5.4 billion left in funding authority to send weapons to Ukraine, yet has only $1.6 billion left to replenish its own stocks, spokesperson Sabrina Singh said Tuesday. That money will soon run out if Congress does not act to authorize additional funding.
“We have enough funding authorities to meet Ukraine's battlefield needs for just a little bit longer but we need Congress to act to ensure there is no disruption in our support,” Singh said.
