In a pivotal turn of events, the US has supplied Ukraine with more than 1,000,000 rounds of Iranian ammunition seized in the Gulf late last year. 


This exchange of weaponry was the outcome of a civil forfeiture case led by the Department of Justice, aimed at gaining ownership because the bullets were seized while being transported to Yemeni Houthi forces, in direct violation of a UN arms embargo. US Attorney General Merrick Garland commented on this significant move, stating, "With this weapons transfer, the Department of Justice's forfeiture actions against one authoritarian regime are now directly supporting the Ukrainian people's struggle against another authoritarian regime. We will continue to utilize every legal authority at our disposal to assist Ukraine in its fight for freedom, democracy, and the rule of law." The ammunition, totalling 1.1 million rounds of 7.62mm calibre, was confiscated on December 9, 2022, from a stateless dhow named Marwan1 by naval vessels of US Central Command. Alongside the ammunition, thousands of proximity fuses for rocket-propelled grenades were also seized. These munitions were traced back to Iran's Revolutionary Guard and were destined for their Houthi allies in the Yemeni civil war. Subsequently, the ammunition had been warehoused in the Middle East, and a forfeiture claim was initiated in a US court in March, culminating in the US gaining ownership on July 20. In addition to this significant transfer, the Department of Justice is pursuing the forfeiture of other confiscated weapons from seized caches, including 9,000 assault rifles, 284 machine guns, approximately 194 rocket launchers, and more than 70 anti-tank guided missiles. This transfer of seized Iranian weapons to Ukraine comes at a time when Western defense ministries are deeply concerned about their ability to continue arming Kyiv in the face of Russia's relentless war of attrition.




Ukrainian army by adobe stock

Source of News Credit: This information is based on an article by Julian Borger in Washington, published on

The Guardian

Thu 5 Oct 2023, at 01.05 BST.