Iran’s Friends Fend Off Action at the U.N. Security Council: Here’s Why

Iran’s Friends Fend Off Action at the U.N. Security Council: Here’s Why

The Chinese Connection

Iran is now the third-largest oil supplier to China’s oil-thirsty economy. Moreover, China is investing nearly $100 billion in developing Iranian oil and gas fields. By some estimates, Iran will provide China with over 250 million tons of natural gas and 150,000 barrels of crude oil per day over the next 30 years.

The Russian Connection

Just last December, Russia agreed to sell Iran another $1 billion in arms, including $700 million worth of advanced surface-to-air missiles (SAM), the TOR-M1. Each TOR unit is capable of tracking 48 targets and firing at two targets at the same time. Once deployed, these SAMs could pose a deadly threat to aircraft involved in any strike against Iranian targets, including the high-value nuclear-related sites at Bushehr, Natanz, Arak and Isfahan. In October 2005, Russia launched Iran’s first satellite, which is capable of taking photographs that could provide valuable military intelligence.