Oct 28, 2026 · 55 min
Listen from 35:00
Listen at 35:00
UAE-Houthi ties expose fractures among Gulf allies
10/28/26: UAE Secretly Helping Houthis Against Saudis, Kushner Lawsuit Over Bribery Allegations
The episode connects Yemen’s shifting battlefield alliances to allegations about Gulf power brokers, secret financing, and Jared Kushner’s regional dealings.
- 1Reporting describes covert UAE assistance to the Iran-aligned Houthis despite the Emirates’ partnership with Saudi Arabia.
- 2Matthew Cole’s book examines Kushner’s ties to Gulf leaders, the Qatar blockade, and efforts to reshape Middle East politics.
- 3Cole addresses allegations involving secret funds, a suspected phone hack, documentary evidence, and anonymous sources.
Don't miss
Matthew Cole responds to criticism of allegations involving secret funds, a suspected phone hack, central-bank accounts, and anonymous sources.
The brief
Ryan Grim opens with reporting that the UAE covertly assisted Ansar Allah, or the Houthis, revealing an unexpected overlap among Emirati, Saudi, Iranian, and Yemeni interests.
The Yemen discussion turns on a central contradiction: the UAE and Saudi Arabia are partners, yet reporting describes Emirati intelligence cooperation benefiting a force aligned with Iran.
Matthew Cole joins to discuss Princes and Thieves, his book about Jared Kushner, Mohamed bin Zayed, the Qatar blockade, and efforts to reshape the Middle East.
Cole addresses allegations of secret funds, a suspected Kushner phone hack, Israeli central-bank accounts, and criticism over documentary evidence and anonymous sources.
Taken together, the conversation portrays Gulf politics as a contest among overlapping alliances, personal relationships, financial interests, and competing visions of regional power.
What was said on this episode
40 statements · 11 positive · 24 negative · 2 mixed · 3 neutral
The UAE could regain a strategic foothold in Yemen through the current conflict.
“the UAE was sidelined in Yemen by Saudi Arabia. so they stand to regain a strategic foothold in Yemen in this current conflict.”
Listen at 3:40
The UAE may regain a strategic foothold in Yemen through the current conflict.
“they stand to regain a strategic foothold in Yemen in this current conflict.”
Listen at 3:44
Ansar Allah recently attacked targets inside Saudi Arabia, including its main airport.
“Ansar Allah has conducted attacks inside Saudi Arabia, including strikes on their main airport recently.”
Listen at 3:58
Ansar Allah has effectively targeted Saudi-backed commanders and anticipated troop movements.
“Antara Allah in recent months has been remarkably effective at targeting commanders among the Saudi-backed fighters and in anticipating the movements of their forces.”
Listen at 4:04
The United States knew about the UAE’s covert assistance to Ansar Allah.
“The U.S. knows this is going on.”
Listen at 4:35
Saudi Arabia has failed to regain territory captured by Ansar Allah.
“The Saudis have unsuccessfully tried to regain the territory”
Listen at 5:44
The United States is in a ceasefire with the Houthis while openly fighting Iran.
“the U.S. is in an open war with Iran. ceasefire with the Houthis.”
Listen at 11:59
A long-term UAE coalition with Ansar Allah is unlikely and would lead to confrontation.
“there's going to be some type of long-term coalition with Ansar Allah is silly. That's headed for confrontation.”
Listen at 13:32
The UAE hopes to retain southern Yemeni territory and reach détente with Ansar Allah.
“the hope among the Emiratis would be that they would then remain in control of a swath of southern Yemen and reach some form of detente.”
Listen at 13:41
A stable Yemen arrangement would let the UAE focus on Horn of Africa interests.
“they can focus their energy instead on the Horn of Africa, where the UAE has all sorts of interests in commodities and port infrastructure and the kind of flow of goods, money and minerals.”
Listen at 14:05
UAE assistance makes expanded U.S. intervention after the midterms less likely.
“I would assume less. It's certainly another sign of the wheels coming off.”
Listen at 14:26
The Trump administration appears intent on resuming war.
“the Trump administration seems intent on going back to war, period.”
Listen at 14:34
The book alleges a secret Kushner–bin Zayed plot to remake the Middle East.
“Jared Kushner and Mohammed bin Zayed's Secret Plot to Remake the Middle East.”
Listen at 18:22
Two funds were available for Jared Kushner, not three.
“There were two.”
Listen at 19:02
Kushner negotiated a UAE fund for Israeli defense assistance after an Iranian attack.
“Kushner negotiated a sort of a rainy day fund for the UAE. to get defense help from Israel in case there was ever an attack from Iran.”
Listen at 19:27
Israel provided and operated part of Iron Dome for the UAE.
“Israel provided part of the Iron Dome to the UAE and operated it for the UAE in the UAE.”
Listen at 20:32
Jared Kushner’s lawyer threatened a defamation lawsuit over the book.
“his lawyer has threatened to launch some sort of defamation suit.”
Listen at 21:44
Matthew Cole stands by the book’s reporting.
“I stand by the story.”
Listen at 23:04
Matthew Cole stands by his reporting on Kushner’s alleged secret funds.
“I stand by the story. My sources are very, very firm on the information that's in the book.”
Listen at 23:04
Matthew Cole believes the book’s allegations are true.
“I believe that, you know, what's in the book is the truth.”
Listen at 23:11
Cole predicts further revelations about Kushner’s alleged foreign-policy activities.
“I think what we're going to find over time is that this is really just the tip of the iceberg.”
Listen at 23:15
The book reveals only a small portion of the broader Kushner story.
“this is really just the tip of the iceberg.”
Listen at 23:17
The Kushner Company’s 666 Fifth Avenue purchase became a financial burden after the 2008 market drop.
“they bought it right before the market dropped in 2008 and it became a albatross.”
Listen at 27:49
Kushner allegedly approved the Qatar blockade without broader U.S. government knowledge.
“Kushner essentially greenlit the blockade without anyone else in the U.S. government knowing.”
Listen at 30:17
Saudi Arabia planned a military incursion into Qatar with UAE air support.
“the Saudis were going to roll militarily over the border into Qatar with a UAE support in the air to try to overthrow the Amir”
Listen at 31:20
MBZ and MBS funded accounts coordinated with Kushner for him to manage.
“MBZ and MBS have agreed to and started initially providing these pools of money into bank accounts in coordination with Jared Kushner that he's going to manage.”
Listen at 32:13
Money began flowing into the accounts around the Qatar blockade.
“the money began then.”
Listen at 32:36
Qatar secretly arranged for a front to purchase 666 Fifth Avenue.
“they decided that they were going to secretly arrange for 666 to be purchased by essentially a front.”
Listen at 35:00
Cole assesses the Qatar-linked purchase of 666 Fifth Avenue as possible extortion.
“it's hard not to look at the sequence of events and the reporting I have and not see this as some form of extortion.”
Listen at 35:48
Russian intelligence hacked Jared Kushner’s phone.
“Jared Kushner's phone has been hacked by the Russians.”
Listen at 41:50
Hundreds of millions of dollars flowed into the Alpha account.
“hundreds of millions of dollars flowing into what I'll call the alpha account”
Listen at 44:10
The Alpha pool was funded by MBS and managed by MBZ for covert operations.
“this first alpha pool was a pool of money that was effectively paid for by MBS in Saudi Arabia, but managed in the UAE by MBZ.”
Listen at 45:18
Alpha account funds went to Erik Prince and Khalifa Haftar.
“that money from that account goes out to people like Eric Prince, the founder of Blackwater, to the Libyan renegade General Khalifa Haftar.”
Listen at 46:00
Alpha-account funds went to Erik Prince and Khalifa Haftar.
“money from that account goes out to people like Eric Prince, the founder of Blackwater, to the Libyan renegade General Khalifa Haftar.”
Listen at 46:00
Cole characterizes the Alpha account as a foreign-policy fund.
“Alpha is looks like and visually, if you will, but also in the reporting, like a foreign policy fund”
Listen at 46:12
MBZ funded the Beta account for Jared Kushner.
“The Beta account was funded by MBZ for Jared.”
Listen at 46:56
Money for the Beta account was held at Israel’s central bank at Netanyahu’s suggestion.
“the money was put in held in the central bank of Israel at Netanyahu's suggestion”
Listen at 47:19
The Beta account was held at Israel’s central bank to conceal its purpose.
“the beta account was held in the central bank specifically and for the intent of hiding its true purpose”
Listen at 48:08
Cole’s book reports sexual blackmail, murder, assassins, and mercenaries.
“This is a story that has sexual blackmail, murder, assassins and mercenaries.”
Listen at 49:43
Cole stands behind all claims in his book about Kushner and Gulf rulers.
“I absolutely stand behind everything that's in this book.”
Listen at 50:26
Statements are attributed to the speaker as said on the episode and reflect their view at the time, not PodLume's. They are not advice.
Books & mentions
Some links are affiliate links — PodLume may earn a commission if you buy.
Weekly email
State of the Pod, every Monday
The week's most-discussed names and stories from podcasts, with the moments behind them. Free, five minutes, unsubscribe in one click.