Tehran Bureau has an article taking a look at why the Russian and Chinese leadership are so firmly tied to the hardliners in Iran.

Russia has also exploited the fact that the hardliners in Iran need
its protection and assistance. For several years now, it has virtually
become a ritual to announce at the beginning of each year that the
Bushehr light water nuclear reactor that Russia is constructing will be
starting operations by mid-year, and to then postpone that to the end
of the year, or early in the following year. Even so, the reactor has
not yet become operational.

There has also been much talk about Russia selling an air defense
system called S-300 to Iran. The Russians have dazzled Iran’s military
with the capabilities of the S-300 system. The capabilities are indeed
very significant, to the extent that they have prompted the United
States to issue a warning about their sale to Iran. The prospect of the
sale has also generated much concern in Israel. Yet, after nearly a
decade of dazzling, no sale has been finalized and no system has been
delivered to Iran.

The reasons are twofold. Russia treats Iran as a winning card in its
relations with the United States. The fact that anti-American
hardliners are in power in Iran is to Russia’s advantage. First,
because it keeps the U.S. influence in Iran, if any at all, minimal.
Second, it forces the United States to focus its attention on Iran, and
less elsewhere. At the same time, by not completing the Bushehr reactor
and promising to sell it the S-300 system, but not actually going
through with the sale, Russia keeps the hardliners in Iran in need. The
Iranian public and the reformist-democratic groups in Iran in
particular, also see this, which explains their anger at Russia.

Last 5 posts by Robert Amsterdam

• Energy Blast - Nov 26, 2009 - November 26th, 2009
• Today in Russian Business - Nov 26, 2009 - November 26th, 2009
• RA's Daily Russian News Blast - Nov 26, 2009 - November 26th, 2009
• How to Earn Putin Points and Survive in Russian Business - November 25th, 2009
• Putin's Eye of the Tiger - November 25th, 2009