Hezbollah denies UAE’s accusations of operating network in the country

2026-03-20 - 21:41

Lebanese president Joseph Aoun condemned the involvement of Hezbollah elements in sabotage plots that the UAE said were thwarted. (AFP pic) BEIRUT: Hezbollah denied yesterday that it has a presence inside the UAE, after Emirati authorities announced they had arrested at least five members of a “terrorist network” linked to Hezbollah and its backer, Iran. Earlier this week Hezbollah issued similar denials that it maintained a presence in Kuwait, after Kuwaiti authorities announced the discovery of two alleged cells linked to the group, arresting a combined 26 people. In a statement, the Lebanese militant group said it “denies the fabricated accusations made against it by the security authorities in the UAE”. “Hezbollah has no presence inside the UAE or in any other country under any cover or commercial designation or otherwise,” the militant group said. According to Emirati authorities, the alleged network had “sought to infiltrate the national economy and carry out external schemes threatening the country’s financial stability” as part of “a pre-established strategic plan in coordination with external parties linked to Hezbollah and Iran”, the official WAM news agency said, citing the UAE State Security Apparatus. Iran has been targeting the Gulf countries, including the UAE, in retaliation for US and Israeli strikes since the war began on Feb 28. Lebanese president Joseph Aoun spoke yesterday to his Emirati counterpart, Mohammed bin Zayed, in a phone call and condemned “the attacks targeting the UAE”, according to a Lebanese presidency statement. He also condemned “the involvement of Hezbollah elements in sabotage plots that the UAE said were thwarted today”. In recent years, the Lebanese government has had tensions with Gulf states, which have expressed concern about Hezbollah projecting influence outside of Lebanon.