I've been trying to understand why Russia, and particularly China, have been backing Iran and Syria so strongly. What is it that gives Iran and Syria such influ

I've been trying to understand why Russia, and particularly China, have been backing Iran and Syria so strongly. What is it that gives Iran and Syria such influential roles in Russian and Chinese foreign policy that they are willing to flaunt NATO so badly? If US and Israeli intel sources both agree that Iran has not even decided to pursue a nuclear weapon, why is the US and Isreal on the brink of war with them? Then I read an article which talks about the New Silk Road that lies in Eurasian oil and natural gas pipelines that the US, Russia, and China have long been fighting over. I had no idea that Iran holds the world's second largest reserves of natural gas, and that China had signed a $120 billion gas exploration and supply deal with Iran -- one which China is seriously banking on as their energy needs are skyrocketing. I'm not familiar with the writer of the article, but the data seems to be pretty convincing. The beginning of the article seems to interpret some quotes a little loosely and almost made me stop reading, but I think that the thesis the author goes on to explain is quite compelling. I don't think that this is the only reason we are seeing what we are seeing, but it might play quite a role in it. "Are the Wars in the Middle East and North Africa Really About Oil?" http://stratrisks.com/geostrat/8558 http://stratrisks.com/geostrat/8558 Edit: Citation for US and Israeli intel agreement on Iran not having decided to pursue a nuclear program: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/world/middleeast/iran-intelligence-crisis-showed-difficulty-of-assessing-nuclear-data.html?_r=0 http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/world/middleeast/iran-inte... Note that President Obama is having MEK removed from the US list of terrorist organizations, perhaps to give them greater freedom to get intel (or simply damage things)