The United States is expected to soon announce that it will send seized Iranian small arms and ammunition to Ukraine, a US official said on Wednesday.
US naval forces for years have been seizing weapons believed to be from Iran bound for Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen, usually transported by fishing vessels.
A US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said an announcement could come as early as this week.
The weapons are expected to include small arms like guns and unlikely to make a major difference on the battlefield at a time when long-range weapons and air defense systems are on top of Ukraine's wish list.
The seized weapons being transferred are also unlikely to ease concerns about the continued flow of western weapons to Kyiv.
The US Congress included no new money for Ukraine in the stopgap US spending bill it passed on Saturday to keep the federal government open, highlighting the increasing reluctance of some Republicans to provide funds for Kyiv.
Last year, Britain's Royal Navy said one of its warships had seized Iranian weapons, including surface-to-air-missiles and engines for cruise missiles, from smugglers in international waters south of Iran.
