U.S. sends more than a million rounds seized from Iran to Ukraine

The United States has transferred to the Ukrainian Armed Forces more than a million seized rounds for Soviet types of small arms in order to strengthen the Ukrainian military on the front line.

The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said this in a press release on Wednesday, Ukrinform reports.

"On Oct. 2, 2023, the U.S. government transferred approximately 1.1 million 7.62mm rounds to the Ukrainian armed forces," the press release reads.

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 stateless dhow MARWAN 1 on December 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.

"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 UN sanctions and through interdictions," the statement said.