U.S. Transfers 1.1 Million Rounds of 7.62mm Ammunition Seized from Iran to Ukraine
On 4 October, the U.S. Central Command announced the transfer of approximately 1.1 million rounds of ‘7.62mm’ caliber ammunition to Ukraine. The munitions originated from Iran’s IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) and were subsequently seized en route to Yemen.
In December 2022, these munitions were confiscated by NAVCENT (United States Naval Forces Central Command), responsible for operations in the Middle East and Persian Gulf, which intercepted the munitions as they were being transported on behalf of the IRGC, with the intent of supplying them to the Houthis, who are involved in an ongoing civil war in Yemen.
The seizure was made in accordance with a UN Security Council Resolution 2216, which was passed in 2015, which established Houthis as an unlawful movement, and granted UN members a permission to:
“seize and dispose (such as through destruction, rendering inoperable, storage or transferring to a State other than the originating or destination States for disposal) of such items[arms] and decides further that all Member States shall cooperate in such efforts…”
From CENTCOM’S statement it is unclear what type of ‘7.62 mm’ ammunition has been transferred. From past details of arms seizures there are two possibilities. If the ammunition is 7.62x39mm, which is predominantly used with AKM-pattern rifles, it will be of limited use to Ukraine. If, however, it is 7.62x54mmR, which is used by Ukraine’s PK-pattern general purpose machine guns, then the ammunition will be more useful.
While this ammunition transfer is taking place amid Ukraine’s ongoing offensive, which has turned into a conflict heavily grounded in both sides trying to attrit the other, it’s essential to highlight that the quantity of ammunition being transferred is relatively small compared to the immense scale of resources consumed by the Ukrainian armed forces. The transfer comes as a US government shutdown was only averted when an agreement was reached which did not include funding for further Ukrainian aid. The initial transfer of 1.1 million rounds does not compensate for the funding shortfall but does open the way for further future transfers of seized Iranian arms.
In a statement on 30 September, President Biden said “We cannot under any circumstances allow American support for Ukraine to be interrupted. I fully expect the Speaker will keep his commitment to the people of Ukraine and secure passage of the support needed to help Ukraine at this critical moment.” According to the U.S. Department of State, the United States has provided Ukraine with over 300 million rounds of small arms ammunition since 2014, and the arms industry across various NATO countries has substantially boosted its production in recent months in an attempt to meet Ukraine’s needs.