Several Gulf countries have intensified financial and security scrutiny of Lebanese residents following the United Arab Emirates’ latest terrorism designations targeting individuals and entities linked to Hezbollah, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The sources told Nidaa Al Watan that the new measures are part of broader Gulf efforts to uncover potential links between Lebanese expatriates and networks accused of supporting Hezbollah financially or logistically.

The heightened scrutiny follows the UAE’s decision under Decree No. 63 of 2026 to place 16 Lebanese nationals and five Lebanon-based entities on its domestic terrorism list, in what analysts describe as a major escalation in the financial confrontation with Iran-backed networks in the region.

According to the sources, several Gulf states have begun conducting expanded financial and security reviews involving Lebanese residents, including closer examinations of banking activity, money transfers, commercial operations and sources of income.

The measures also reportedly include reviews of residency files and financial transactions as Gulf authorities seek to strengthen oversight mechanisms and prevent the use of regional financial systems for activities linked to Hezbollah or affiliated entities.

Observers say the latest steps reflect a broader transformation in Gulf policy toward Hezbollah-linked networks, moving beyond traditional security monitoring toward systematic financial tracking and preventive enforcement measures.

The UAE’s recent designations are viewed as particularly significant because they target not only individuals, but also what analysts describe as the “gray financial infrastructure” long used to facilitate funding operations, commercial activities and sanctions evasion.

The individuals listed by the UAE are all Lebanese nationals: Ali Mohammed Karneeb, Nasser Hassan Nasr, Hassan Shehadeh Othman, Samer Hassan Fawaz, Ahmed Mohammed Yazbek, Issa Hussein Qasir, Ibrahim Ali Daher, Abbas Hassan Gharib, Emad Mohammed Bazzi, Ezzat Youssef Akar, Wahid Mahmoud Sbeiti, Mustafa Habib Harb, Mohammed Suleiman Badir, Adel Mohammed Mansour, Ali Ahmed Kraysh and Nima Ahmad Jamil.

The five designated Lebanon-based entities are Bayt Al-Mal Al-Muslimeen, Al-Qard Al-Hassan Association, Al-Tasheelat Company, The Auditors for Accounting and Auditing, and Al-Khobara for Accounting, Auditing and Studies.

Under the Emirati decree, authorities were instructed to freeze within 24 hours any assets, accounts or transactions linked to the listed individuals and entities.

Regional analysts say Gulf states increasingly view financial networks tied to Iran and Hezbollah as a cross-border security threat comparable to operational or militant cells, particularly as funding mechanisms have become central to Tehran’s regional influence strategy.

In recent months, Gulf countries have announced a series of preemptive security operations targeting networks allegedly linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hezbollah. Analysts estimate that around 15 such operations have been carried out over a relatively short period, reflecting mounting Gulf concern over the expansion of Iranian-linked structures beyond their traditional operational zones.

The UAE previously announced the dismantling of a commercial network suspected of ties to Hezbollah and Iran that authorities said had been involved in money laundering, economic infiltration and the financing of illicit activities. Emirati authorities also said they had dismantled another covert organization allegedly backed by Tehran.

Elsewhere in the Gulf, Kuwait announced it had foiled a maritime infiltration attempt linked to the Revolutionary Guards, while Bahrain handed down harsh sentences against suspects accused of cooperating with the Guards and revoked the citizenship of dozens of individuals.

Sources familiar with Gulf security policy said the current phase of confrontation is no longer limited to tracking weapons shipments or dismantling militant cells, but increasingly focuses on the financial and economic structures through which influence, recruitment and regional operations are allegedly managed.