00:00An expert says that Gulf states may soon consider launching their own military action against Iran,
00:06even if they do not formally join a US-led campaign.
00:10Professor Anoush Eteshami of Durham University says Gulf leaders are increasingly alarmed by Tehran's refusal
00:18to curb attacks that threaten their security and vital economic infrastructure.
00:24And they themselves, of course, have got agency.
00:27Over the last 40 years, they've been building up a hugely sophisticated military force of their own.
00:38And they're reluctant to use this in anger, but they built it up for precisely this kind of moment.
00:45And so don't be surprised if push comes to shove,
00:51that they don't even take joint action with American forces against Iran.
00:57Saudi Arabia spent about US$75.8 billion on defence in 2024,
01:04making it the largest military spender in the Middle East and one of the largest worldwide.
01:09The United Arab Emirates also invested heavily in modern military capabilities
01:14and allocated roughly US$23 billion to defence spending.
01:19However, Eteshami said Gulf governments must carefully weigh the political consequences of any direct military action against Iran
01:27because regional sensitivities remain extremely high.
01:33The fly in the ointment, however, is that none of them want to be associated with Israel attacks on Iran,
01:41particularly during the month of Ramadan,
01:44and particularly when the head of a state, who is a religious figure amongst the Shia world, is actually assassinated.
01:52Remember, many of them have got Shia populations themselves.
01:56Previously, Iran launched missiles and drone attacks against several Gulf countries that host US military bases,
02:02including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain.
02:05The strikes came after Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed during joint US and Israeli attacks.
02:12A report by The Guardian said the United Arab Emirates alone suffered almost US$2 billion in damage
02:18from Iranian missiles and drone strikes in 2026.
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