A senior UAE royal, known by his nickname "the spy sheikh", was reportedly instrumental in mending ties with Iran after the war, deviating from Abu Dhabi's previously aggressive policy to retaliate aggressively to Iranian missile and drone attacks with Israeli backing, according to a report.
US-educated Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, who is the UAE's National Security Advisor and brother of UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, coordinated the mediation efforts with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani to ease regional tensions during and after the conflict.
Sources suggest that Sheikh Tahnoon's move to soften UAE's stance towards Iran comes from his business-first approach as he believes regional stability is key to the Gulf nation's economic growth, reports Bloomberg.
The UAE royal himself oversees a $1.5 trillion empire and chairs AI companies G42 and MGX. He is a mixed-martial arts buff, obsessed with jiujitsu and chess, and owns a stable of Arabian race horses.
It should be noted that UAE was the most targeted Gulf nation during the Iran war. But after Sheikh Tahnoon convinced Tehran with his diplomatic efforts and promise of funds, the UAE was spared of fresh attacks since May 4, according to multiple reports. But Iran continued to fire drones and missiles at Kuwait and Bahrain.
The UAE has already delivered $3 billion to Iran, while $7 billion more was earmarked for transfer, according to sources quoted by Reuters. However, it is not clear whether the funds belong to Abu Dhabi or come from frozen Iranian accounts under UAE control.
However, the UAE foreign ministry has categorically dismissed reports of transferring funds to Iran as false and unfounded, “including allegations concerning $3 billion”. It added that no frozen Iranian funds have been released, transferred or facilitated through the UAE.
