Facing fund crunch, US to supply seized Iranian weapons to Ukraine

According to a U.S. official on Wednesday, the US is soon to declare that it will deliver ammunition and small arms taken from Iran to Ukraine.

Usually delivered by fishing vessels, U.S. naval troops have been collecting weapons thought to be from Iran and headed for fighters in Yemen who are supported by Iran for years.

Under the condition of anonymity, a U.S. official stated that an announcement might occur as soon as this week.

Since long-range weapons and air defence systems are at the top of Ukraine’s list of priorities, it is predicted that the weaponry would contain small arms like firearms and are unlikely to make a significant effect on the battlefield.

Concerns regarding the continuous flow of western weaponry are likewise unlikely to be allayed by the confiscated guns being moved.

The interim U.S. budget package that Congress enacted on Saturday to keep the government open did not include any additional funding for Ukraine, highlighting the growing resistance of some Republicans to give money to Kyiv.

In international waters south of Iran, one of Britain’s warships allegedly intercepted smugglers carrying Iranian armaments, including surface-to-air missiles and cruise missile engines.

Since 2015, the Houthi movement in Yemen has fought a Saudi-led coalition in a war that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and left 80% of the people in need of humanitarian help.

The United States has pressed its partner Saudi Arabia to halt the conflict and condition some of its military aid to the country on the kingdom’s withdrawal from Yemen.

(With agency inputs)