US Has Plans for Guns, Ammo Seized From Iran

Thousands of weapons the US seized from Iran, as well as massive quantities of seized ammunition, will be transferred to Ukraine to aid in the war effort there. US Central Command announced the transfer Wednesday, and said more than 1 million rounds of seized ammo have already been transferred, CNN reports. The Department of Justice made a civil forfeiture claim earlier this year regarding munitions seized by the US Navy from Iran as they were in transit to Yemeni Houthi forces late last year in what the DoJ argued was a violation of a UN arms embargo, the Guardian reports. The US was granted ownership of those munitions in July.

Over the past year, thousands of weapons and more ammunition have been seized in that way, as Iran attempts to smuggle the goods to its allies in Yemen, and the US is seeking to claim ownership of those confiscated items as well. The White House has been working for months on a plan to legally send the arms and ammo to Ukraine. The move comes amid increased concern that US aid to Ukraine will not continue after Kevin McCarthy's ouster as Speaker of the House, the Washington Post notes. The Ukrainian military is dealing with supply shortages as it awaits further aid. (More Ukraine stories.)