The United States has reaffirmed the legitimacy of sending seized Iranian weapons to Ukraine. According to Deputy Spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, Vindant Patel, during a press conference, “Under the U.S. Security Assistance Initiative for Ukraine launched by the U.S. Department of Defense, it is permissible for the Secretary of Defense, with the approval of the Secretary of State, to provide Ukraine with weapons and other defense materials from the United States, among other sources. It is evident that this falls within one of those sources,” as reported by CNN.
The U.S. Central Command announced yesterday that it had already transferred over 1 million rounds of confiscated Iranian ammunition to Ukrainian forces, stating in a press release that the transfer occurred last Monday.
The statement read, “The government acquired this ordnance on July 20th, following civil forfeiture demands filed by the U.S. Department of Justice against the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.”
The Biden administration has been studying for months how to legally send the seized weaponry, stored at U.S. Central Command facilities throughout the Middle East, to the Ukrainians.
In July, the U.S. Department of Justice announced its intent to seize “more than 9,000 rifles, 284 machine guns, approximately 194 rocket-propelled grenades, over 70 anti-tank guided missiles, and over 700,000 rounds of ammunition” confiscated by the U.S. Navy from Iran.
The statement further noted, “U.S. Central Command Navy forces originally seized this ordnance from the sailing vessel ‘Marwane 1’ on December 9, 2022. The purpose of transporting the ordnance from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard to the Houthi rebels in Yemen violated United Nations Security Council Resolution 2216.”
This article highlights the U.S. decision to legally transport seized Iranian weapons to Ukraine as part of the U.S. Security Assistance Initiative for Ukraine. The move comes amid concerns about the proliferation of weapons in the region and the desire to support Ukraine in its ongoing conflict with Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.
The U.S. seizure of Iranian arms originally bound for Houthi rebels in Yemen is seen as an effort to prevent the destabilization of the region and to uphold international sanctions, particularly United Nations Security Council Resolution 2216. This resolution imposes an arms embargo on Houthi rebels in Yemen and calls for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
The decision to transfer these confiscated weapons to Ukraine underscores the ongoing U.S. commitment to supporting Ukraine in its defense efforts and maintaining stability in the region. It also raises questions about the broader implications of arms proliferation and the role of the United States in addressing such issues on the global stage.
