KUALA LUMPUR: Gulf states could soon consider launching their own military action against Iran, even without joining a U.S.-led campaign, according to a Middle East expert.

Professor Anoush Ehteshami of Durham University said Gulf leaders are increasingly concerned about Tehran's refusal to curb strikes affecting their security and economic infrastructure across the region.

"Over the last 40 years, they have been building up a hugely sophisticated military force of their own.

"And they are reluctant to use this in anger, but they built it up for precisely this kind of moment," he told AWANI International.

Gulf states have spent heavily over decades to build powerful armed forces.

Saudi Arabia alone spent about USD75.8 billion on defence in 2024, making it the largest military spender in the Middle East and among the top globally.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has also invested heavily in modern military capabilities, spending around USD23 billion on defence in 2020.

However, Ehteshami said gulf states' governments must carefully weigh the political consequences of any military move against Iran.

“The fly in the ointment, however, is that none of them want to be associated with Israel's attacks on Iran.

“Particularly during the month of Ramadan and when the head of state, who is a religious figure in the Shia world, is actually assassinated,” he said.

He said since several Gulf states have Shia populations, leaders are wary of actions that could inflame sectarian tensions domestically.

Previously, Iran launched missile and drone attacks on several Gulf countries hosting U.S. military bases, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain, in retaliation after its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in U.S.-Israeli strikes.

According to a report by The Guardian, the UAE alone suffered nearly USD2 billion in damage from Iranian missile and drone strikes.

The attacks targeted airports, ports, hotels and energy infrastructure across the country.