United States: The US military has said that over one million rounds of ammunition seized from Iran were sent to Ukraine.
The US Central Command stated that the ammunition had been seized last year from a ship accused of transporting weapons from Iran to the Houthi rebel group in Yemen.
“The US government transferred approximately 1.1 million 7.62mm rounds to the Ukrainian armed forces, obtained ownership of these munitions on July 20, 2023, through the Department of Justice’s civil forfeiture claims,” the military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.
The decision was made during a time of increased tension between Tehran and Washington. Iran’s support for Russia’s war effort in Ukraine and the Houthi rebel group in Yemen are the points of contention, as per the statement.
The sent ammunition is not expected to significantly impact Ukraine’s battlefield efforts. Ukraine’s focus remains on acquiring long-range weapons and air defense systems in their fight to repel Russian forces.
US military aid has been crucial for Ukraine, yet conservative US Republicans are vowing to limit additional funding for such assistance.
Critics of aid to Ukraine in the US and Europe are growing in influence, raising doubt on the extent of Western backing in the conflict with Russia. In Slovakia, a presidential candidate who pledged no aid to Ukraine secured victory in the country’s presidential election over the weekend.
Aid for Ukraine became a contentious issue during recent US Congressional efforts to pass a temporary spending package to prevent a government shutdown. Additionally, extra support was removed from the final bill.
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