The escalating crisis in the Middle East has claimed a new group of victims: soccer fans and cartoon lovers.

TV channels owned by Qatar's BeIN Media have been suspended in Dubai and elsewhere in the United Arab Emirates. The company holds the regional TV rights to top flight soccer leagues and tournaments, and broadcasts popular kids channels, such as Baraem and Jeem.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia have been leading a bid to isolate their Gulf neighbor in a dispute over regional security. They broke off diplomatic and transport links with Qatar on Monday after accusing it of supporting terrorism, claims that the tiny state has rejected in the strongest terms.

Tensions have been building since last month when the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt banned Qatari-owned TV channel Al Jazeera. BeIN Sports is a spinoff of Al Jazeera Sports.

Media regulators in the UAE declined to comment on Thursday, while BeIN Media and its distributors in the UAE -- telecom companies Du and Etisalat -- did not respond to requests for comment.

In a tweet, Du confirmed that BeIN channels had been suspended in the UAE but it offered no explanation.

Subscribers used social media to bombard the companies with questions about why their screens had gone dark.

"Knock Knock @dutweets are you just not bothering giving us an update reference BeIN Sports?," tweeted one user.

Du tweeted back: "Unfortunately there are no updates on when the service will be restored."

BeIN Sports holds the exclusive rights to air the English Premiership and the UEFA Champions League across the Middle East and North Africa. They are also due to air the FIFA Confederations Cup -- a World Cup 2018 warmup tournament featuring Germany, Portugal, Mexico and the hosts, Russia -- which begins on June 17.

The English Premiership and Champions League seasons have finished. But if the blockade drags on into July and August, soccer fans in the UAE may miss out on matches featuring Manchester City.

The English team is owned by Sheikh Mansour -- a member of Abu Dhabi's ruling family -- and sponsored by Abu Dhabi's Etihad airline.

"So now that BeIN Sport is going to be illegal in my country, how am I supposed to watch @ManCity," tweeted another user.

Qatar has used its huge oil and gas wealth to become an economic powerhouse. It also used media outlets such as Al Jazeera to boost its regional influence.

But its media crown jewel is in trouble. Analysts said that Saudi Arabia and the UAE may demand the closure of Al Jazeera as part of a deal to mend relations with Qatar.

Now BeIN is feeling the heat too.

Several prominent commentators working for BeIN Sports have announced their resignation on Twitter this week.

One of them was a former Saudi football player, Nawaf Al Temyat.

"With all friendliness, I bid farewell to my friends and colleagues at BeIN Sports and Qatar's kind people," he tweeted to his 2.2 million followers. "I wish them all the success."</s>Dubai: A top diplomat from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said on Friday that the list issued on Thursday of 59 individuals and 12 organisations linked to terrorism gives Qatar a chance to change its policy.

The list is an opportunity for Qatar "to change direction away from petulance and escalation," after the list of Qatar-linked "terrorists and terror groups" was issued by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt, Anwar Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said on his twitter account, Xinhua reported.

A solution can only be achieved "through diplomacy, not resort to 'ally' Turkish and Iranian, and the starting point addresses concerns of siblings about their security and stability targeted policy," he added.

"Despite the difficulty of the crisis on the Gulf and its people, but in clear relief, it is difficult to deal with a partner in his duplicity to undermine world partners," Gargash noted.

Iran has offered to provide food to Qatar after Saudi Arabia closed the country's only land border and its own airspace for Qatari aircrafts.

On Friday, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan ratified a fast-track decision by the Turkish parliament to send up to 5,000 troops to Qatar.</s>The United Arab Emirates (UAE) top diplomat said on Friday that the list issued on Thursday of 59 individuals and 12 organisations linked to terrorism gives Qatar a chance to change its policy. The list is an opportunity for Qatar “to change direction away from petulance and escalation,” after the list of Qatar-linked “terrorists and terror groups” was issued by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt, Anwar Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said on his twitter account, Xinhua reported.

A solution can only be achieved “through diplomacy, not resort to ‘ally’ Turkish and Iranian, and the starting point addresses concerns of siblings about their security and stability targeted policy,” he added.

“Despite the difficulty of the crisis on the Gulf and its people, but in clear relief, it is difficult to deal with a partner in his duplicity to undermine world partners,” Gargash noted.

Iran has offered to provide food to Qatar after Saudi Arabia closed the country’s only land border and its own airspace for Qatari aircraft.

On Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ratified a fast-track decision by the Turkish parliament to send up to 5,000 troops to Qatar.

For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App</s>The escalating crisis in the Middle East has claimed a new group of victims: soccer fans and cartoon lovers.

TV channels owned by Qatar's BeIN Media have been suspended in Dubai and elsewhere in the United Arab Emirates. The company holds the regional TV rights to top flight soccer leagues and tournaments, and broadcasts popular kids channels, such as Baraem and Jeem.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia have been leading a bid to isolate their Gulf neighbor in a dispute over regional security. They broke off diplomatic and transport links with Qatar on Monday after accusing it of supporting terrorism, claims that the tiny state has rejected in the strongest terms.

Tensions have been building since last month when the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt banned Qatari-owned TV channel Al Jazeera. BeIN Sports is a spinoff of Al Jazeera Sports.

Media regulators in the UAE declined to comment on Thursday, while BeIN Media and its distributors in the UAE -- telecom companies Du and Etisalat -- did not respond to requests for comment.

In a tweet, Du confirmed that BeIN channels had been suspended in the UAE but it offered no explanation.

Subscribers used social media to bombard the companies with questions about why their screens had gone dark.

"Knock Knock @dutweets are you just not bothering giving us an update reference BeIN Sports?," tweeted one user.

Du tweeted back: "Unfortunately there are no updates on when the service will be restored."

BeIN Sports holds the exclusive rights to air the English Premiership and the UEFA Champions League across the Middle East and North Africa. They are also due to air the FIFA Confederations Cup -- a World Cup 2018 warmup tournament featuring Germany, Portugal, Mexico and the hosts, Russia -- which begins on June 17.

The English Premiership and Champions League seasons have finished. But if the blockade drags on into July and August, soccer fans in the UAE may miss out on matches featuring Manchester City.

The English team is owned by Sheikh Mansour -- a member of Abu Dhabi's ruling family -- and sponsored by Abu Dhabi's Etihad airline.

"So now that BeIN Sport is going to be illegal in my country, how am I supposed to watch @ManCity," tweeted another user.

Qatar has used its huge oil and gas wealth to become an economic powerhouse. It also used media outlets such as Al Jazeera to boost its regional influence.

But its media crown jewel is in trouble. Analysts said that Saudi Arabia and the UAE may demand the closure of Al Jazeera as part of a deal to mend relations with Qatar.

Now BeIN is feeling the heat too.

Several prominent commentators working for BeIN Sports have announced their resignation on Twitter this week.

One of them was a former Saudi football player, Nawaf Al Temyat.

"With all friendliness, I bid farewell to my friends and colleagues at BeIN Sports and Qatar's kind people," he tweeted to his 2.2 million followers. "I wish them all the success."</s>The escalating crisis in the Middle East has claimed a new group of victims: soccer fans and cartoon lovers.

TV channels owned by Qatar's BeIN Media have been suspended in Dubai and elsewhere in the United Arab Emirates. The company holds the regional TV rights to top flight soccer leagues and tournaments, and broadcasts popular kids channels, such as Baraem and Jeem.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia have been leading a bid to isolate their Gulf neighbor in a dispute over regional security. They broke off diplomatic and transport links with Qatar on Monday after accusing it of supporting terrorism, claims that the tiny state has rejected in the strongest terms.

Tensions have been building since last month when the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt banned Qatari-owned TV channel Al Jazeera. BeIN Sports is a spinoff of Al Jazeera Sports.

Media regulators in the UAE declined to comment on Thursday, while BeIN Media and its distributors in the UAE -- telecom companies Du and Etisalat -- did not respond to requests for comment.

In a tweet, Du confirmed that BeIN channels had been suspended in the UAE but it offered no explanation.

Subscribers used social media to bombard the companies with questions about why their screens had gone dark.

"Knock Knock @dutweets are you just not bothering giving us an update reference BeIN Sports?," tweeted one user.

Du tweeted back: "Unfortunately there are no updates on when the service will be restored."

BeIN Sports holds the exclusive rights to air the English Premiership and the UEFA Champions League across the Middle East and North Africa. They are also due to air the FIFA Confederations Cup -- a World Cup 2018 warmup tournament featuring Germany, Portugal, Mexico and the hosts, Russia -- which begins on June 17.

The English Premiership and Champions League seasons have finished. But if the blockade drags on into July and August, soccer fans in the UAE may miss out on matches featuring Manchester City.

The English team is owned by Sheikh Mansour -- a member of Abu Dhabi's ruling family -- and sponsored by Abu Dhabi's Etihad airline.

"So now that BeIN Sport is going to be illegal in my country, how am I supposed to watch @ManCity," tweeted another user.

Qatar has used its huge oil and gas wealth to become an economic powerhouse. It also used media outlets such as Al Jazeera to boost its regional influence.

But its media crown jewel is in trouble. Analysts said that Saudi Arabia and the UAE may demand the closure of Al Jazeera as part of a deal to mend relations with Qatar.

Now BeIN is feeling the heat too.

Several prominent commentators working for BeIN Sports have announced their resignation on Twitter this week.

One of them was a former Saudi football player, Nawaf Al Temyat.

"With all friendliness, I bid farewell to my friends and colleagues at BeIN Sports and Qatar's kind people," he tweeted to his 2.2 million followers. "I wish them all the success."</s>Dubai, June 10 (IANS) The United Arab Emirates (UAE) top diplomat said on Friday that the list issued on Thursday of 59 individuals and 12 organisations linked to terrorism gives Qatar a chance to change its policy.

The list is an opportunity for Qatar “to change direction away from petulance and escalation,” after the list of Qatar-linked “terrorists and terror groups” was issued by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt, Anwar Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said on his twitter account, Xinhua reported.

A solution can only be achieved “through diplomacy, not resort to ‘ally’ Turkish and Iranian, and the starting point addresses concerns of siblings about their security and stability targeted policy,” he added.

“Despite the difficulty of the crisis on the Gulf and its people, but in clear relief, it is difficult to deal with a partner in his duplicity to undermine world partners,” Gargash noted.

Iran has offered to provide food to Qatar after Saudi Arabia closed the country’s only land border and its own airspace for Qatari aircraft.

On Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ratified a fast-track decision by the Turkish parliament to send up to 5,000 troops to Qatar.</s>UAE-backed forces fighting on behalf of the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen have kidnapped hundreds of men and allegedly tortured some, according to relatives and local human rights activists.

An investigation - published on Friday by The Daily Beast website and funded by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism - said uniformed men belonging to a militia called the Elite Forces, which is controlled by the UAE, abducted men from their homes and brought them to a secret prison compound in southern Yemen, where they were allegedly tortured.

Human rights activists compared the conditions at al-Riyan airport, in southeastern Yemen, to that of notorious US-run prisons such as Guantanamo Bay in Cuba and Abu Ghraib in Iraq.

UAE forces have been fighting in Yemen since 2015 alongside members of a US-backed, Saudi-led coalition battling Houthi fighters and al-Qaeda-affiliated armed groups.

The investigation echoes a similar report put out by the United Nations earlier this year that warned of increasing instances of forced disappearances in UAE-controlled southeastern Yemen.

According to the UN, the UAE-backed Elite Forces were created to counter the rise of al-Qaeda fighters in the southeastern port city of Mukalla once the government regained control of the area in April 2016.

The city had previously been under the control of armed groups for nearly a year.

Efforts to take back the city were led by the UAE, which maintains a strong presence across the city.

Weeks of interviews with family members of the disappeared led the Bureau of Investigative Journalism to conclude the mass kidnappings were part of a campaign by the Elite Forces against al-Qaeda suspects.

Activists told the Bureau many of those abducted worked normal jobs while al-Qaeda was in control of the city, but had no connections to the group.</s>The United Arab Emirates (UAE) top diplomat said on Friday that the list issued on Thursday of 59 individuals and 12 organisations linked to terrorism gives Qatar a chance to change its policy.

The list is an opportunity for Qatar "to change direction away from petulance and escalation," after the list of Qatar-linked "terrorists and terror groups" was issued by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt, Anwar Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said on his twitter account, Xinhua reported.

A solution can only be achieved "through diplomacy, not resort to 'ally' Turkish and Iranian, and the starting point addresses concerns of siblings about their security and stability targeted policy," he added.

"Despite the difficulty of the crisis on the Gulf and its people, but in clear relief, it is difficult to deal with a partner in his duplicity to undermine world partners," Gargash noted.

Iran has offered to provide food to Qatar after Saudi Arabia closed the country's only land border and its own airspace for Qatari aircraft.

On Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ratified a fast-track decision by the Turkish parliament to send up to 5,000 troops to Qatar.</s>US legislation threatening Qatar for Hamas support is tied to donations from UAE, Saudi, and Israel lobbyists.

Washington, DC - US legislation threatening to sanction Qatar for its support of "Palestinian terror" was sponsored by 10 lawmakers who received more than $1m over the last 18 months from lobbyists and groups linked to Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

The bill was introduced to the US House of Representatives on May 25, but the text wasn't available until Friday morning, hours after Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Egypt put 59 people and 12 institutions linked to Qatar on a "terror list".

The nations abruptly ended diplomatic relations with Qatar on Monday, accusing Doha of supporting "extremism" and siding with their regional rival Iran.

"Hamas has received significant financial and military support from Qatar," the Palestinian International Terrorism Support Prevention Act of 2017, also known as HR 2712, said. It went on to list sanctions including an end of exports of defence technologies, arms, and loans or financing totalling more than $10m.

READ MORE: Erdogan vows to stand by 'Qatari brothers' amid crisis

For Trita Parsi, author and founder of the National Iranian American Council(NIAC), a nonprofit that aims to strengthen the voice of US citizens of Iranian descent, the similarities between the US-allied Arab nations' "terror list" and HR 2712 show growing cooperation between Gulf Arab states and Israel.

"The coordination between hawkish pro-Israel groups and UAE and Saudi Arabia has been going on for quite some time," Parsi told Al Jazeera. What is new, he continued, is pro-Israel groups such as the Foundation for Defense of Democracies "coming out with pro-Saudi [articles] and lobbying for them on Capitol Hill".

Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia all view the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist political group, as a threat. Deposed Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi belonged to the group, which endured a heavy-handed crackdown in Egypt since a military coup installed Abdel Fatah el-Sisi as president in 2014.

The Brotherhood was the ideological base for Hamas, the Islamist rulers of the besieged Gaza Strip that have fought three wars with the Israelis. The Saudis demand that Qatar stop supporting the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas in a move that aligns with Egyptian and Israeli policy.

Israel's influence on US policymakers is clear. HR 2712's sponsors received donations totaling $1,009,796 from pro-Israel individuals and groups for the 2016 election cycle alone, according data collected by the Center for Responsive Politics, an independent research group tracking money in US politics and its effect on elections and public policy, and then compiled by Al Jazeera.

"They're not traditional pro-Saudi lawmakers. They're in the pro-Likud camp," Parsi said, referring to the party of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The bill has bipartisan sponsorship. Five of the lawmakers come from the House Committee on Foreign Relations (HCFR), including sponsor Brian Mast, a first-term Republican congressman from Florida, and Ed Royce and Eliot Engel, the ranking Republican and Democrat of the HCFR, respectively.

Royce received $242,143 from pro-Israel sources for the 2016 election cycle, $190,150 went to Engel. Mast, who volunteered with the Israeli military after he finished serving in the US Army, received $90,178.

READ MORE: Qatar-Gulf crisis: All the latest updates

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Florida Republican, received $150,300 in 2016, pushing her 27-year career total of pro-Israel dollars to more than $1m.

In contrast with the $1 million donated by pro-Israel entities in 2016, HR 2712's sponsors received roughly $25,700 in donations by pro-Saudi and UAE lobbying groups over the last 18 months, according to filings with the US Department of Justice made public under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).

The act requires that lobbyists track and submit donations and contacts between themselves and lawmakers when working for foreign governments.

Al Jazeera's investigation covered 10 firms associated with Saudi and Emirati lobbying efforts. However, these are not exhaustive. Both Gulf nations have rapidly expanded their lobbying in recent years and could include further donations from individuals.

FARA filings also document frequent emails and meetings between the 10 lawmakers and Saudi-UAE lobbyists, as well as calls to major media outlets concerning news coverage of major events.

Texas Republican Ted Poe, who said in a release he was proud to support HR 2712 because it "will make countries like Qatar, Iran, and others pay a price for their support for terrorism" was the only legislator who does not have a record of any donations from lobbyists linked to Israel, Saudi or UAE.

Al Jazeera's requests for comment from several sponsors, including Brian Mast and the HCFR, were not immediately answered.

Regarding the increased collaboration between the Gulf nations and Israel, which recently entered its 50th year of occupying Palestine, Parsi said even though there are disagreements they share a common goal.

"To use the opportunity they have with the Trump administration to restore an order in the region that is appealing to them - an order based on Iran's isolation and the re-prioritisation of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Israel," he said.

The previous Obama administration shook the status quo of the Middle East by making the landmark nuclear deal with Iran that eased sanctions and allowed for the Shia regional power to continue researching nuclear power. The agreement was based on an end to Iran's efforts to develop nuclear weapons, and it has complied with the terms such as intermittent inspections by international agencies.

READ MORE: Five days on, five things to know about Qatar-Gulf rift

Obama famously said the Saudis need to find "an effective way to share the neighbourhood and institute some sort of cold peace" with the Iranians.

"But then Obama okayed billion dollar arms deals to assure Gulf partners he wasn't entirely pivoting towards Iran," William Hartung, director of the Arms & Security Project at the Center for International Policy, a think-tank in Washington, DC, told Al Jazeera.

Now, Trump has adopted an "all-in" approach to Saudi relations, including a controversial $110bn arms deal regardless of human rights concerns surrounding the use of these weapons in the ongoing Yemen conflict.

Arms sales have long acted as a means of influencing US policy. "There was always a sort of tacit quid pro quo," Hartung continued. The Saudis would buy US weapons and receive the superpower's protection, the arms expert explained.

Israel has historically raised concerns about arms deals with Gulf Arab states, who last fought a war in 1973. But the Israeli leadership has "kept quiet" about the $110bn arms deal with Saudi Arabia inked by the Trump administration because "there was a shift from viewing the Saudis as a potential adversary", Hartung said, because Iran is a common enemy.

"In the old days, there was a pro-Israel block in Congress … that would have been very sceptical and possibly pushed for votes against arms sales to Saudi Arabia. That hasn't happened in a long time," he said.

The geographic and corresponding congressional re-alignment will continue, Parsi predicted, and pressure on Qatar will remain.

The small Gulf country "is a problem because it is independent and doesn't share Saudi Arabia's obsession with Iran", he said.

For its part, Qatar has vowedto retain its independence.</s>of one of Washington’s most connected and influential foreign operatives has been hacked. A small tranche of those emails was sent this week to media outlets, including The Intercept, HuffPost and The Daily Beast, with the hacker promising to release a trove publicly.

The hotmail account belongs to the UAE’s ambassador to the United States, Yousef Al-Otaiba, and The Intercept can confirm it is the one he used for most Washington business. HuffPost confirmed at least one of the emails as authentic and the UAE has confirmed that Otaiba’s account was indeed hacked.

Otaiba’s influence derives largely from his pocketbook, as the ambassador is well known for throwing lavish dinner parties, galas, and hosting powerful figures on extravagant trips. Several Christmases ago, he sent out iPads as gifts to journalists and other Washington power players as gifts. There’s no telling what kind of messages might reside in that inbox.

The hackers used a .ru email address, associated with Russia, and referred to themselves as GlobalLeaks, tying themselves to DCLeaks, a website that previously released Democratic emails. The intelligence community has said DCLeaks is a Russian-operated website, which means that the Otaiba hackers are either connected with Russia or trying to give the impression that they are.

Russia and the Gulf monarchies, client states of the United States, are longtime rivals, backing opposing sides in Syria and clashing for decades over Iran.

so far to the The Intercept show a growing relationship between the United Arab Emirates and the pro-Israel, neoconservative think tank called the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD).

On the surface, the alliance should be surprising, as the UAE does not even recognize Israel. But the two countries have worked together in the past against their common adversary, Iran.

On March 10 of this year, FDD CEO Mark Dubowitz authored an email to both the UAE’s ambassador to the United States, Yousef Al-Otaiba, and FDD Senior Counselor John Hannah — a former deputy national security adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney — with the subject line “Target list of companies investing in Iran, UAE and Saudi Arabia.”

“Dear, Mr. Ambassador,” Dubowitz wrote. “The attached memorandum details companies listed by country which are doing business with Iran and also have business with the UAE and Saudi Arabia. This is a target list for putting these companies to a choice, as we have discussed.”

Dubowitz’s attached memorandum includes a lengthy list of “non-U.S. businesses with operations in Saudi Arabia or UAE that are looking to invest in Iran.”

The list includes a number of major international firms, including France’s Airbus and Russia’s Lukoil.

Presumably, the companies are being identified so that the UAE and Saudi Arabia can pressure them over investing in Iran, which is seeing an expansion of foreign investment following the 2015 nuclear deal.

Israel and the Gulf monarchies have grown closer in recent years, as both sides fear that Iran is moving closer to normalization with the West and will therefore increase its own influence and power in the region. But admissions of the alliance between the two are still rare in public. One high-level Israeli official, discussing the relationship on background for a previous HuffPost profile of Otaiba, laid out the politics of it. “Israel and the Arabs standing together is the ultimate ace in the hole. Because it takes it out of the politics and the ideology. When Israel and the Arab states are standing together, it’s powerful,” he said.

The hacked emails demonstrate a remarkable level of backchannel cooperation between a leading neoconservative think tank — FDD is funded by pro-Israel billionaire Sheldon Adelson, an ally of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who is one of the largest political donors in the United States — and a Gulf monarchy. (An FDD spokesperson says that Adelson has not given to FDD since 2013.)

Hannah and Otaiba are frequently chummy in the exchanges. On August 16 of last year, Hannah sent Otaiba an article claiming that the UAE and FDD were both responsible for the brief military coup in Turkey. “Honored that we’re in your company,” Hannah wrote to Otaiba.

In another email exchange in late April of this year, Hannah complains to Otaiba that Qatar — a rival Gulf government that has clashed with the UAE in recent months over various issues — is hosting a meeting of Hamas at an Emirati-owned hotel. Otaiba responds that it’s not the Emirati government’s fault, and that the real issue is the U.S. military base in Qatar, “How’s this, you move the base then we’ll move the hotel :-).”

The emails detail the proposed agenda of an upcoming meeting between FDD and UAE government officials that is scheduled for June 11-14. Dubowitz and Hannah are listed as attending, as well as Jonathan Schanzer, FDD vice president for research. UAE officials requested for meetings include Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the crown prince who commands the armed forces.

The agenda includes extensive discussion between the two on Qatar. They are scheduled to discuss, for instance, “Al Jazeera as an instrument of regional instability.” (Al Jazeera is based in Qatar.)

There is also “discussion of possible U.S./UAE policies to positively impact Iranian internal situation”; included among the list of policies are “political, economic, military, intelligence, and cyber tools,” which are also brought up as a possible response to “contain and defeat Iranian aggression.”

FDD has been involved in shaping Mideast policy debate during the Trump administration, so it is likely that the UAE views it as an important conduit to pressure Trump to adopt its more hawkish line on Iran. David Weinberg, a senior fellow at the organization, was quoted last month as saying that the UAE is “ecstatic” about the Trump administration’s approach to the region.

“They have been looking for some time for an American partner to push-back against Iran,” he told Arabianbusiness.com. “They are looking for America to turn rhetoric into action.”

Otaiba has also developed a close relationship with President Trump’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner. The two first met last June at the behest of Thomas Barrack, a billionaire investor and Trump backer. A Politico article last February described Kushner as “in almost constant phone and email contact” with the ambassador.

Whatever the UAE’s agenda, it isn’t promoting democracy. From the previous profile:

We’re now getting a sense of what those emails looked like. In an email sent on July 3, 2013, shortly after the Egyptian military deposed elected Muslim Brotherhood-backed president Mohamed Morsi, Otaiba lobbied former Bush administration officials Stephen Hadley — now a consultant at RiceHadleyGates — and Joshua Bolten on his view on Egypt and the wider Arab Spring.

“Countries like Jordan and UAE are the ‘last men standing’ in the moderate camp. The arab spring has increased extremism at the expense of moderation and tolerance,” he lamented.

He described Morsi’s overthrow in glowing tones. “Today’s situation in Egypt is a second revolution. There more people on the streets today than January of 2011. This is not a coup, this is revolution 2.0. A coup is when the military imposes its will on people by force. Today, the military is RESPONDING to people’s wishes.”

Egypt today is a virtual dictatorship. And a close ally of both the U.S. and the UAE.

Update: June 3, 2017

 This piece was updated to clarify the relationship between Russia and Iran.
Human rights activists accuse forces led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE of kidnapping and torturing people during the Yemeni conflict.