U.S. Transfers 5000 AK-47s Captured from Iranian Vessels to Ukraine

The U.S. government delivered a shipment of small arms and ammunition to Ukraine to bolster its defense against Russia's invasion, with the weapons originally intended by Iranian forces to supply Tehran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.

This delivery included more than 5,000 AK-47s, machine guns, sniper rifles, RPG-7s, and over 500,000 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition for the Ukrainian armed forces.

The U.S. government secured ownership of these munitions on December 1, 2023, following civil forfeiture actions by the Department of Justice against Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The weapons were confiscated by U.S. Central Command and allied naval forces from stateless vessels between May 2021 and February 2023, a violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2216 which prohibits the supply of arms to the Houthis.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has reiterated its commitment to combatting the flow of Iranian weaponry in the region through lawful means, including enforcing U.S. and U.N. sanctions and interdictions.

The Houthi rebels in Yemen have been involved in attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since November, purportedly in solidarity with Hamas militants during their conflict with Israel. This underscores Iran's support for armed groups in the region, which the U.S. military views as a threat to international and regional security, including American forces, diplomatic personnel, citizens, and allied interests in the area.

Earlier, in early October, Washington had similarly transferred seized arms to Ukraine, providing 1.1 million rounds of 7.62mm ammunition also intercepted from Iranian forces en route to Yemen.