The United States will send thousands of weapons seized from Iran to Ukraine. This strategy was developed, at the decisive stage of the war between Ukraine and Russia, by the US Central Command, according to which more than a million Iranian munitions seized on Monday were transferred to Kiev. In this way, US officials told CNN, it will be possible to mitigate some of the shortcomings faced by the Ukrainian military as it waits for more money and equipment from the United States and its allies.
In Washington, we are witnessing a special moment. The law approved to avoid a federal government shutdown freezes further funding for Kiev for now. In the House of Representatives, Speaker Kevin McCarthy has just been impeached, having been brought down by his more extreme Republican colleagues. There’s enough to worry President Joe Biden: All of this worries me, but I know that there are majorities of House and Senate members in both parties who have said they would support funding for Ukraine.
Iranian weapons in Kyiv, US strategy
Therefore, Iranian weapons arrive at the right time to ensure continuity of military aid. “The government acquired these munitions on July 20, 2023, following forfeiture requests filed by the Department of Justice against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Pasdaran,” reads the memo issued by US Central Command.
In July, the US Department of Justice announced that it would request the confiscation of “more than nine thousand rifles, 284 machine guns, approximately 194 rocket launchers, more than 70 anti-tank guided missiles, and more than 700,000 ammunition” seized from Iran by the United States. . American Navy. These weapons are stored at Central Command bases in the Middle East.
Last year, CNN reported, The US Navy confiscated thousands of Iranian assault rifles and more than a million rounds of ammunition Among the ships that Iran uses to ship weapons to the Shiite Houthi militias active in Yemen. The seizures, often conducted with regional partners, target small stateless boats on routes historically used to smuggle weapons to the Houthis.
The US Department of Justice has been working for months to try to find a legal path to sending the confiscated weapons to Ukraine. “Ultimately, Ukraine needs various supplies for the war effort, and while this is not a solution to all of Ukraine’s military needs, it will provide critical support,” said Jonathan Lord, director of the Middle East Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The new American security. Sending Iranian weapons to the Ukrainian military could have consequences for Russia. “For more than a year, Iranian drones have been used in the hands of the Russian military to attack and kill Ukrainian civilians,” Lord said.
Ukraine is in talks with Italy about long-range missiles
Meanwhile, Kiev continues to keep channels open with all Western partners, including Italy. “I had a constructive call with my Italian colleague Guido Crosetto. I am grateful to Italy for the continued military assistance it has provided to Ukraine and for its participation in the international coalition,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustam wrote in a post about Omerov, according to Crosetto. He discussed “urgent needs on the front: long-range missile systems and electronic warfare systems.”
“I have invited Italy and Italian companies to invest in Ukraine’s military industry. I will be happy to welcome Crosetto to Ukraine in the near future,” Omerov adds.
“Congratulations on your recent appointment as Minister of Defense of Ukraine. We will continue to support Ukraine by favoring the path of dialogue to reaffirm the law and achieve a just peace.”
The Italian Defense Minister on Sky focuses on the hypothesis of a new aid package. “When we talk about supplies to Ukraine there are two sides: a political side and then a technical side, to see what we can offer without jeopardizing the need to always maintain the Italian defense. There is a constant demand from the Ukrainian side for aid, we need to check what we can offer compared to what they need.” To him: The availability of the eighth package is there, but at the moment it is just a statement of intent,” he told Sky Tg24 in part of Sky’s 20-year celebrations.
“Italy has done a lot, focused a lot on anti-aircraft defense systems to stop attacks on civilian and energy infrastructure, on cities, on schools. – Crosetto adds – the problem is that you do not have unlimited resources. From this point of view, Italy has done almost everything it can, and there is no more scope“.
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