US sends seized Iranian weapons intended for Yemeni Houthis to Ukraine

(Patria) - The United States has transferred thousands of infantry weapons and more than 500,000 rounds of ammunition to Ukraine that were seized over a year ago when Iran attempted to deliver them to the Houthis in Yemen, the US military said on Tuesday, Reuters reported.

The hardware sent last week is the latest military aid that the administration of US President Joe Biden has provided to Kyiv in its fight against Russia. The Democrat has been blocked from providing additional weapons to Kyiv due to the refusal of Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson to put to a vote new security assistance worth $60 billion.

With Ukrainian forces running out of weapons and ammunition, especially heavy artillery,
the United States and its allies are seeking new ways to arm Kyiv.

The weapons that the United States transferred to Kyiv on April 4 "constituted enough materiel to equip" a Ukrainian brigade, the US Central Command said in a statement on X.

Such an infantry brigade typically consists of 3,500 to 4,000 soldiers, but the exact number is not known.

Iran's permanent mission to the United Nations said: "We cannot comment on weapons and armaments that never belonged to us."

CENTCOM said the hardware includes more than 5,000 AK-47 assault rifles, machine guns, sniper rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, and more than 500,000 rounds of ammunition.

The ammunition was taken from four "stateless" vessels intercepted by US and partner force ships, which were not identified, between May 22, 2021 and February 15, 2023, CENTCOM said.

The weapons were sent to the Houthis by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, CENTCOM said.