U.S. forces intercept weapons from Iran, deliver them to Ukraine

U.S. Central Command on Tuesday said it had delivered thousands of small arms and artillery shells to Ukraine—enough to supply an entire Ukrainian brigade, it said. The shipment, which arrived last week, contained 5,000 AK-47 assault rifles, sniper rifles, and RPG-7 grenade launchers. It also included 500,000 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.

How were these weapons originally intercepted from Iran? The U.S. Navy and its allies seized the weapons from May 2021 to February 2023, according to U.S. Central Command. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps had been shipping the weapons to Yemen’s Houthi rebels before U.S. and allied forces seized them, Central Command said. Iran has been providing the Houthis with advanced weapons since 2014, according to a report by the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency earlier this year.

Hasn’t Iran also been supplying Russia with arms? The U.S. Treasury and State Departments have issued a series of sanctions packages in recent months against various Iranian individuals, companies, and their associates. The sanctions have referenced Iran’s supply of drones and missiles to Russia as well as terrorist groups in the Middle East. The Defense Intelligence Agency last year released a separate report detailing Iran’s supply of drones to Russia.

What aid is Ukraine calling for? Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday again called for robust air defense systems, specifically for its northeastern city of Kharkiv. He shared a video on social media cataloging damage from Russian airstrikes and accusing the Kremlin of attacking civilians in their homes.

Dig deeper: Read Janie B. Cheaney’s column in WORLD Magazine about how victory in wartime—and its costs—are no longer stylish.