Representatives of Iran’s Quds Force and Muslim Brotherhood considered forming an alliance against Saudi Arabia in 2014, leaked Iranian documents published on Monday show.
The 700 pages of files from Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security, seen by The New York Times and The Intercept, showed Tehran wielding its influence in the region, especially in Iraq.
Representatives of the Quds Force, the foreign operations arm of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard, and the Brotherhood held secret summit at a Turkish hotel in April 2014 to seek common ground.
Although they had major differences, during the meeting they decided there “should be a focus on joint grounds for co-operation”, the documents said.
Both sides shared “a hatred for Saudi Arabia, a common enemy of the Muslim Brotherhood and Iran”.
Representatives of the Brotherhood suggested the two should join forces against the Saudis.
The place to do that was in Yemen, where a war between the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government was about to escalate.
“In Yemen, with the influence of Iran on the Houthis and the influence of the Brotherhood on the armed tribal Sunni factions, there should be a joint effort to decrease the conflict between Houthis and Sunni tribes to be able to use their strength against Saudi Arabia,” the Brotherhood delegation said.
The documents showed that neither side knew there was a spy at the meeting.
The Iranian ministry, a rival of the Revolutionary Guard in Iran's security apparatus, had an agent who reported on the developments at the meeting.
The ministry agent “acted as co-ordinator of this meeting”, the documents showed.
Iran's intelligence ministry "envied the Quds' power and tried to keep track of their activities around the world".
Turkey at the time had good relations with both sides, making it safe to conduct the meeting there.
But the government denied entry to the Quds Force chief Gen Qassem Suleimani, the documents said.
Other senior Quds officials attended the meeting, which was led by one of Gen Suleimani’s deputies, identified as Abu Hussain.
The Brotherhood delegation was led by three prominent members: Ibrahim Munir Mustafa, Mahmoud El Abiary and Youssef Moustafa Nada.
Mr Nada denied any knowledge of the 2014 meeting in an interview with The Intercept.
After 9/11, the US administration of George W Bush and the UN suspected that Mr Nada helped to finance Al Qaeda. His bank accounts were frozen and his movement restricted.
UN sanctions against him were lifted in 2009 because no proof of his ties to terrorism could be found.
Ireland (15-1):
Ireland (15-1): Rob Kearney; Keith Earls, Chris Farrell, Bundee Aki, Jacob Stockdale; Jonathan Sexton, Conor Murray; Jack Conan, Sean O'Brien, Peter O'Mahony; James Ryan, Quinn Roux; Tadhg Furlong, Rory Best (capt), Cian Healy
Replacements: Sean Cronin, Dave Kilcoyne, Andrew Porter, Ultan Dillane, Josh van der Flier, John Cooney, Joey Carbery, Jordan Larmour
Coach: Joe Schmidt (NZL)
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THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The Dark Blue Winter Overcoat & Other Stories From the North
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THE SCORES
Ireland 125 all out
(20 overs; Stirling 72, Mustafa 4-18)
UAE 125 for 5
(17 overs, Mustafa 39, D’Silva 29, Usman 29)
UAE won by five wickets
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
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