The US has transferred to Ukraine 1000’s of infantry weapons and greater than 500,000 rounds of ammunition that have been seized greater than a yr in the past as they have been being shipped by Iran to Houthi forces in Yemen, the US army stated on Tuesday.
The {hardware} despatched final week is the newest army help that US President Joe Biden’s administration has offered to Kyiv for its battle to retake territory occupied by Russia.
Democrat Biden has been blocked from offering additional US weaponry to Kyiv by Republican Home Speaker Mike Johnson’s refusal to name a vote on $60 billion in new safety help.
With Ukrainian forces operating low on weapons and munitions, particularly heavy artillery rounds, the US and its allies have been looking for new methods to arm Kyiv.
The weaponry transferred by the US to Kyiv on April 4 “constituted sufficient materiel to equip” a Ukrainian brigade, US Central Command stated in a press release posted on social media platform X.
An infantry brigade usually includes 3,500 to 4,000 troops, however the precise numbers weren’t recognized.
Iran denies the weapons have been theirs
Iran’s everlasting mission to the United Nations stated, “We can not touch upon weapons and armaments which have by no means belonged to us.”
CENTCOM stated the {hardware} included greater than 5,000 AK-47 assault rifles, machine weapons, sniper rifles and rocket-propelled grenades and greater than 500,000 rounds of ammunition.
The munitions have been taken from 4 “stateless” vessels intercepted by US naval ships and people of companion forces – which weren’t recognized – between Might 22, 2021 and Feb. 15, 2023, CENTCOM stated.
The weapons have been being despatched by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to the Houthis, CENTCOM stated.
