US transfers thousands of seized Iranian weapons to Ukraine

Europe, Middle East, News, US October 6, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

The United States transferred thousands of seized Iranian weapons and millions of munitions rounds to Ukraine for its fight against Russian forces. The weapons were seized during a joint operation conducted by the U.S. and French naval forces last year from a ship transiting to Yemen.

The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that more than 1.1 million rounds of the 7.62 mm guns as well as thousands of rifles and rocket launchers have been transferred to Ukraine. The shipment has been in the works for months and concluded on October 2, 2023, according to U.S. CENTCOM spokesperson Capt. Abigail Hammock.

The weapons were originally seized by the U.S. Navy in December 2022. In March 2023, the U.S. government took custody of the weapons through the Department of Justice forfeiture claims against the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of the seized weapons.

“The government obtained ownership of these munitions on July 20, 2023, through the Department of Justice’s civil forfeiture claims against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC),” the CENTCOM statement said.

The Department of Justice had reported that “over 9,000 rifles, 284 machine guns, approximately 194 rocket launchers, over 70 anti-tank guided missiles, and over 700,000 rounds of ammunition” were seized from Iran by the US Navy. The interdiction took place in the Gulf of Oman, along routes historically used to traffic weapons unlawfully from Iran to Yemen.

US sent seized Iranian weapons to Ukraine — ^{Weapons that the U.S. Navy described as coming from a hidden arms shipment aboard a stateless dhow MARWAN are seen aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey on May 8, 2021. (Image Credit: U.S. Navy/AP)}

“These munitions were originally seized by U.S. Central Command naval forces from the transiting stateless dhow MARWAN 1, Dec. 9, 2022. The munitions were being transferred from the IRGC to the Houthis in Yemen in violation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2216,” the statement says.

The transfer of millions of munition rounds is unlikely to make a large difference on the battlefield at a time when Ukraine is conducting its counteroffensive operation. Kyiv’s wish list for weapons is filled with long-range weapons and air defense systems for now. The transfer would also make minimal impact on the rising concerns about the continued flow of weapons supply to Ukraine.

Seizing operation

U.S. military’s Central Command partnered with French naval forces to conduct regional maritime security operations for the seizure of weapons is one of the four most significant illicit cargo interdictions around the Gulf of Oman.

French naval base in Abu Dhabi tipped the U.S. Naval Security Forces about the ship and its route. Despite having a significant presence in the region, the French Navy typically takes a quieter approach to regional security operations while maintaining diplomatic relations with Iran.

*^{Assault rifles and missiles seized by the French navy lay on the deck of a ship at an undisclosed location. (Image Credit: Twitter/US CENTCOM)}*

A security team aboard the U.S. Navy’s USS Lewis B. Puller intercepted MARWAN 1 on December 9, 2022. MARWAN 1 was crewed by Somali, Kenyan, and Pakistani crew members. It was reported that the ship had been in waters off the coast of Iran and that the Iranian Navy boarded the vessel to load it with ammunition and explosives. Based on the traveling route of the ship it was determined that the weapons were being transferred to Yemen.