The Pentagon has transferred greater than 1 million rounds of ammunition seized from Iran to Ukraine, the U.S. army introduced Wednesday, a transfer that comes as congressional infighting threatens to delay or derail help to Kyiv.
The switch, which passed off Monday, is aimed toward serving to Kyiv’s forces push by means of Russia’s defensive strains earlier than winter arrives. It comes as funding for Ukraine has fallen sufferer to political infighting within the Home, the place a bunch of hardline Republican members are opposing any extra help to the battle.
Lawmakers over the weekend handed a last-minute spending invoice to avert a authorities shutdown by means of mid-November, however stripped the laws of Ukraine funding.
The cargo of 1.1 million 7.62 mm rounds to the Ukrainian armed forces has been within the works for months, in response to U.S. Central Command spokesperson Capt. Abigail Hammock.
U.S. Navy forces initially seized the munitions, which might be fired by AK-47 rifles, from a stateless dhow that was transport them from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to the Houthis in Yemen on Dec. 9, 2023, in response to an announcement.
The U.S. authorities seized the munitions by means of the Division of Justice’s civil forfeiture claims towards the IRGC on July 20, in response to the assertion.
“The U.S. is dedicated to working with our allies and companions to counter the circulation of Iranian deadly help within the area by all lawful means together with U.S. and U.N. sanctions and thru interdictions,” in response to the assertion.
The Pentagon has $5.4 billion left in funding authority to ship weapons to Ukraine, but has solely $1.6 billion left to replenish its personal shares, spokesperson Sabrina Singh mentioned Tuesday. That cash will quickly run out if Congress doesn’t act to authorize extra funding.
“We’ve sufficient funding authorities to satisfy Ukraine’s battlefield wants for just a bit bit longer however we want Congress to behave to make sure there isn’t any disruption in our help,” Singh mentioned.
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