The US will send thousands of weapons confiscated in Iran to Ukraine. The strategy is being developed at the crucial stage of the war between Ukraine and Russia by the US Central Command Centcom, after which over a million seized Iranian ammunition were transferred to Kiev on Monday. In this way, US officials told CNN, it would be possible to address some deficiencies facing the Ukrainian army as it waits for more money and equipment from the United States and its allies.
In Washington, however, we are experiencing a special moment. The law, which was passed to prevent a federal government shutdown, freezes further funding for Kiev for now. In the House of Representatives, Speaker Kevin McCarthy was just fired after being ousted by his more extremist Republican colleagues. There is enough to worry President Joe Biden: All of this worries me, but I know that there are a majority of members of the House and Senate in both parties who have said they will support funding for Ukraine.
Iranian weapons in Kiev, the US strategy
The Iranian weapons therefore come at the right time to ensure the continuity of military aid. “The government came into possession of this ammunition on July 20, 2023, after the Department of Justice filed a seizure request against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Pasdaran,” the United States Central Command said in a statement.
In July, the US Department of Justice announced that it would request the seizure of “over nine thousand rifles, 284 machine guns, approximately 194 rocket launchers, over 70 anti-tank missiles and over 700,000 ammunition” seized from Iran by the US Navy. These weapons are stored at Centcom bases in the Middle East.
CNN recalls that last year the US Navy seized thousands of Iranian assault rifles and more than a million rounds of ammunition from ships that Iran used to transport weapons to the Shiite Houthi militias active in Yemen. The seizures, often carried out with regional partners, target small stateless boats on routes previously used to smuggle weapons to the Houthis.
The US Department of Justice has been working for months to find a legal way to send the seized weapons to Ukraine. “Ultimately, Ukraine needs various supplies for the war effort, and while this is not the solution to all of Ukraine’s military needs, it will provide critical support,” said Jonathan Lord, director of the Middle East Security Program at the Center for a New American Security. The supply of Iranian weapons to the Ukrainian military could have consequences for Russia. “For over a year, Iranian drones have been used in the hands of the Russian military to attack and kill Ukrainian civilians,” Lord said.
Ukraine is negotiating with Italy over long-range missiles
Meanwhile, Kiev continues to keep channels open to all Western partners, including Italy. “I had a constructive conversation with my Italian colleague Guido Crosetto. I am grateful to Italy for the constant military support of Ukraine and for participation in the international coalition,” writes Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem in a post to Umerov, according to which Crosetto discussed “urgent needs on the front: long-range missile systems and electronic warfare systems.”
“I invited Italy and Italian companies to invest in Ukraine’s military industry. I would be happy to welcome Crosetto to Ukraine in the near future,” adds Umerov.
“Congratulations on your recent appointment as Ukrainian Defense Minister. We will continue to support Ukraine by favoring the path of dialogue to reaffirm the law and achieve a just peace,” Crosetto’s post said.
The Italian Defense Minister focuses on Sky on the hypothesis of a new aid package. “When we talk about supplies to Ukraine, there are two aspects: a political one and then a technical one, to see what we can deliver without compromising the need to always maintain Italian defense. There is a continuous request from the Ukrainian side for help, we have to look at what we can give compared to what they would need: the availability of the eighth package is there, but at the moment it is just a declaration of intent,” he tells Sky Tg24 in part of the “Sky 20th anniversary celebration.
“Italy has done a lot, it has focused heavily on anti-aircraft systems to stop attacks on civil and energy infrastructure, on cities, on schools. – adds Crosetto – the problem is that you don’t have unlimited resources. And from that point of view, Italy has done almost everything it could do, there is not much room left.”
also read