US sends Ukraine more than 1 million rounds of ammunition seized from Iran

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The U.S. Central Command has announced that more than one million rounds of Iranian ammunition seized from a ship last year are now in the hands of Ukraine’s military, in a transfer Attorney General Merrick Garland says will aid the "people's fight against another authoritarian regime." 

The transfer of the approximately 1.1 million 7.62mm rounds unfolded on Monday, according to CENTCOM. 

"These munitions were originally seized by U.S. Central Command naval forces from the transiting stateless dhow MARWAN 1, Dec. 9, 2022," it said. "The munitions were being transferred from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to the Houthis in Yemen in violation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2216." 

Garland said in a statement that "With this weapons transfer, the Justice Department's forfeiture actions against one authoritarian regime are now directly supporting the Ukrainian people's fight against another authoritarian regime.  

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The U.S. seized "approximately 1.063 million rounds of 7.62x54mm ammunition, 24,000 rounds of 12.7x99mm ammunition, 6,960 proximity fuses for rocket-propelled grenades, and 2,000 kg of propellant used to launch rocket-propelled grenades" from the MARWAN 1, according to court documents filed by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. (U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia)

"We will continue to use every legal authority at our disposal to support Ukraine in their fight for freedom, democracy, and the rule of law," he added. 

CENTCOM also said the U.S. "is committed to working with our allies and partners to counter the flow of Iranian lethal aid in the region by all lawful means including U.S. and U.N. sanctions and through interdictions." 

The transfer comes as Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., says there is a "growing movement" within the Republican party to cut additional funding to Ukraine. 

"We have problems funding Social Security, we have problems funding, Medicare, Medicaid, all the things that have already been promised to our people we have trouble funding, and we just don't have extra money just to be sending to another country," Paul told Fox News Digital in an interview this week.  

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One of the packages of ammo taken from the MARWAN 1 ship in the Gulf of Oman in December 2022. (U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia)

The U.S. has sent more than an estimated $100 billion of taxpayer dollars to Ukraine since the war began, according to the White House. 

A recent U.S. State Department strategy memo detailing the top priorities for Ukraine also shows the Biden administration has concerns over purported corruption in the Eastern European country but still supports continued aid to the region. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky walks with U.S. President Joe Biden down the colonnade to the Oval Office during a visit to the White House on Sept. 21, 2023 in Washington, D.C. (Evan Vucci-Pool/Getty Images)

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The document reiterates U.S. support for Ukraine with "continued military and security assistance" but adds, "A clear, transparent strategy to deoligarch the economy and deliver prosperity for all is central to these reforms." 

Fox News’ Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.