Unusual: USA uses seized Iranian weapons to arm Ukraine

The Pentagon recently confirmed the shipment of military equipment to Ukraine, including Iranian weapons and munitions originally planned for Yemen’s Houthi rebels, but blocked by American forces and their allies.

The transfer carried out on April 4, marks a new phase in Washington’s military support for Kyiv in the face of current conflicts.

According to the US Middle East Command (Centcom), this lot includes more than 5,000 AK-47 assault rifles, different submachine guns, sniper rifles, and grenade launchers as well as more than 500,000 rifle rounds.

This initiative comes against a backdrop of heightened regional tensions, with Iran having constantly denied any involvement in armed support for groups in conflict in the region.

This action follows an earlier delivery in October 2023, where 1.1 million 7.62 mm cartridges were also sent to Ukraine. These steps highlight the American determination to optimize costs and use all means at its disposal to support Ukraine, in particular by reusing military equipment confiscated en route to other theatres of operations.