Pretty strange story to me. Where exactly is he going to find 30,000 Arabs to follow an Isma’ili? Most are not Arabs, none are even considered Muslims. Duruz from the Levant? Suleymanis from Yemen & Najaran? Sounds unfeasible to me.
Perhaps a few people owed him favors?
The Hindustan Times is also carrying the story, and hopefully more details will emerge with time.
Aga Khan III 'offered to help Adolf Hitler' in World War II- Hindustan Times
& why would either of them follow a Nizari?