The UAE State Security Service announced the dismantling of a network funded and managed by Hezbollah and Iran, and the arrest of its members, who were active within the state’s territory under a fictitious commercial cover, in an attempt to penetrate the national economy and implement external plans that threaten financial stability. The agency explained that "the network worked according to a pre-prepared strategic plan in coordination with external parties, by violating economic and legal regulations, and engaging in money laundering and terrorist financing operations, which constitutes a direct threat to the country's security." He stressed that "the security services will deal firmly with any attempts to exploit the economy or civil institutions for terrorist or conspiratorial purposes," stressing that any external interference that threatens the security and stability of the state will not be allowed, regardless of its source or cover.