Agent Brandt is gay
"Next time, I get to seduce the rich guy."Wistrom is the real mastermind
Why else would Hendricks be doing his assistant's job in Dubai? Cobalt is an operative for Cobol Corporation who is acting against the wishes of the company, hence the similar name.
It can be speculated that Cobalt used the Mega Corp's resources to execute his insane plan to remake the world by nuclear war. Cobol is probably not amused with this plan, but can not act overtly due to their rogue activities. More or less, Hendricks was being encouraged by the Syndicate &/or Solomon Lane.
With the release of Mission: Impossible – Fallout, we learn that the remnants of the Syndicate, the Apostles are hell-bent on starting world revolution through detonating nuclear weapons. Hendricks would have done the dirty work for Solomon & his gang thanks his similar beliefs.