United Arab Emirates authorities said on Friday they had dismantled ​a “terrorist network” funded and operated by Lebanon’s ‌Hezbollah and Iran, and arrested its members.

According to the state news agency, the network was involved in “money ​laundering, financing terrorism and threatening national security.”

There ​was no immediate comment from Hezbollah or ⁠Iran.

Since the outbreak of the US-Israeli ​war on Iran in late February, Tehran has ​launched large-scale missile and drone attacks across the Gulf, with the UAE among the most heavily targeted ​countries.

Emirati officials say hundreds of strikes have been directed at the country, hitting sites including oil facilities, ports ⁠, and areas near major urban centres.

The UAE has long opposed political Islamist groups.

Iran-backed Hezbollah entered the conflict on March 2, ​firing at Israel ​from Lebanon, ⁠prompting Israel to launch extensive airstrikes on Hezbollah targets across Lebanon.

“The ​network had been operating within the ​country ⁠under a fictitious commercial cover and sought to infiltrate the national economy and carry out ⁠external ​schemes threatening the country’s ​financial stability,” the UAE state news agency said.

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