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UAE designates 21 Lebanese individuals and organisations as terrorists over alleged Hezbollah links
The UAE on May 13, 2026 designated 21 Lebanese people and organisations as terrorists, citing ties to Hezbollah and ordering asset freezes. The move follows March 2026 arrests of five individuals linked to a Hezbollah network, which Hezbollah denies had any UAE presence.
Why It Matters
The designation expands UAE's counterterrorism actions against Hezbollah-linked groups and signals tighter financial controls. It may affect Lebanese nationals and entities with links to the listed groups and shapes regional security dynamics.
Timeline
2 Events
May 13, 2026: UAE designates 21 Lebanese individuals and organisations as terrorists
May 13, 2026
The UAE designated 21 Lebanese people and organisations as terrorists, ordering the freezing of their assets. The list includes 16 Lebanese nationals and five organisations based in Lebanon, as published by WAM. Authorities were instructed to identify any financial or commercial links to those listed and to freeze assets within less than 24 hours. The designation follows the March arrests of a Hezbollah-linked network previously announced by Abu Dhabi, which Hezbollah denied having any UAE presence.
March 2026: Abu Dhabi arrests five members of Hezbollah-linked terrorist network
March 2026
In March 2026, Abu Dhabi announced the arrest of five individuals as part of a 'terrorist network' linked to Hezbollah and its backer, Iran, aimed at threatening the UAE's financial stability. Hezbollah denied having any presence inside the UAE 'under any cover or commercial designation or otherwise'.