UAE Breaks Up Iran-Linked Network Amid Escalating Gulf Tensions

Dubai— The United Arab Emirates said on Friday it had dismantled a “terrorist network” allegedly funded and operated by Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, arresting its members as regional tensions intensify following the outbreak of the U.S.-Israeli war on Tehran.

The UAE state news agency said the network was engaged in money laundering, terrorism financing and activities that threatened national security.

Authorities added that the group had been operating under a fictitious commercial cover to infiltrate the national economy and pursue external schemes affecting financial stability.

There was no immediate response from Iran or Hezbollah to the allegations.

The announcement comes as the UAE faces sustained security pressure amid escalating hostilities in the region. Since late February, Iran has launched large-scale missile and drone attacks across the Gulf, with Emirati officials saying hundreds of strikes have targeted the country.

According to authorities, attacks have hit oil facilities, ports and areas near major urban centres, underscoring the vulnerability of critical infrastructure in one of the region’s key economic hubs.

The broader conflict expanded on March 2 when Hezbollah entered the war, firing at Israel from Lebanon, prompting Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah targets.

The UAE, which has long opposed political Islamist movements, has stepped up internal security measures as the war between Iran and Israel increasingly spills across borders, affecting both military and economic domains.