The US will transfer thousands of seized Iranian weapons and rounds of ammunition to Ukraine, in a move that could help to alleviate some of the critical shortages facing the Ukrainian military as it awaits more money and equipment from the US and its allies, US officials said.

US Central Command is set to announce the policy as soon as this week, officials said.

It is not clear what legal authorities the US will use to facilitate the weapons' transfer -- the UN requires that seized weapons be destroyed or stored. The Biden administration has for months been weighing how to legally send the weapons, which are stored in CENTCOM facilities across the Middle East, to the Ukrainians.

This story is breaking and will be updated.