Over a million rounds of 7.62mm ammunition confiscated from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was transferred by the U.S. to Ukraine, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reported on Oct. 4.
The rounds, most commonly used for rifles and machine guns, were seized as part of a civil forfeiture claim against an Iranian shipment headed for Houthi rebels in Yemen. The transfer violated United Nations Security Council Resolution 2216, which aimed to prevent the flow of arms to the war in Yemen.
The CENTCOM press release noted that the U.S. is committed to stopping the illegal shipment of Iranian weapons, and cautioned that "Iran’s support for armed groups threatens international and regional security."
One of Russia's closest remaining allies, Iran has provided a wide variety of military hardware and ammunition to assist Moscow in its war against Ukraine.
Iran has delivered thousands of Shahed-type drones, which Russia has used to attack Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure. Members of the Iranian military have also personally assisted Russian forces on the ground as drone instructors, and some have been killed in combat.
The Ukrainian parliament has introduced wide-ranging sanctions against Iran for its complicity in Russia's war.
Iryna Matviyishyn
