Iranian couldn't buy Russia's and China's votes for a simple reason they can't afford it. [It's like saying that Argentina or Indonesia bought US vote]. I my judgment the picture if Iran as o loose cannon is seriously flawed.China has been signing long term oil contracts with Iran. As the world's demand for oil continues to increase in China and India, the cushion between supply and demand has narrowed. Countries will be competing to get a reliable source of oil. China has been selling arms to Iran. Russia has been selling nuclear technology to Iran along with military equipment. It has been building the nuclear reactors. The bottom line is that Iran can and has influenced the Russian and Chinese votes on the UNSC. Iraq did something similarly with the Russian and French votes. Remember the Oil for Food program?
1. Significant finances go to Iraq. Don't kid yourself filling the void created by removal of Sadam [the void that US refuse to fill because it is afflicted with political-correctness-madness syndrome - a lethal infectious disease transmitted by left-leaning intellectual elites] was pretty expensive, Especially in the face of long-lasting Arab-Persian distrust, and the memory of the bloody Iraq-Iran war.
Iran can afford it. The increase in oil revenues doesn't hurt either. As long as wealth is concentrated in the hands of the corrupt mullahs, they can spend the money any way they want. The Iranian economy is in poor shape, but the Iranian regime is able to mute domestic opposition and pressure unlike what would happen in democracies. The Soviet Union was really a third world country, but the leadership used its scarce resources to build up a world class military machine while the rest of the country suffered.
2. Hezbollah is also quite expensive pet. The toys used against Israel were very costly and you have to remember that a lot of money was spent to buy the support of Shiite population of south Lebanon [hospitals, schools, TV station, pensions for poor and family of martyrs - it's like financing a state without tax revenue]
Mere peanuts for the Iranians. Iran produces about 4 million bbls of oil a day and sells most of it. That works out to daily revenues of over $250 million a day.
3. Expensive nuclear program. There is a good reason why authoritarian governments in poor countries don't indulge themselves in this way.
Iran is not a poor country. It has the world's 35th largest economy [22nd in terms of PPP]. The corrupt and repressive leadership can establish its own priorties and fund them accordingly.
6. Internal situation. Young urban dwellers are getting restive. They won't put up with deteriorating quality of life. Some money have to be spend on them.
There is no doubt that the Iranian regime is not popular or supported by the majority of the populace. However, as Stalin, Castro, etc. have proven, you can in a police state control the opposition.
If we take into account that Iranian economy is in a shambles [an oil rich country that have to import gasoline!!], we have to wonder how to the hell it can afford this kind of policy???!!
You are viewing the situation through a Western prism. The Iranian regime can do what it wants, including setting priorities on how it spends its money. Iran is not running a deficit economy like we are. In fact, they hold surpluses.
excellent remarks 1] Your point is that Iran has enough revenue to finance its foreign policy. You might be right. The percentage of national income, that can be spend on foreign policy by a western government is tiny in comparison with the percentage an undemocratic government can spend at its discretion. However if a relatively poor country [you describe it as 35th world largest economy] within few years develops a foreign policy worth of superpower it's bound to rise suspicions about financing. Increased oil revenues can explain a lot, but oil was more expensive [in real terms] few decades ago, and that fact didn't allow Iran to indulge its ambitions then. 2] No offense, but you can't compare Iran to Stalinist state. Stalin created a state completely cut off the rest of the world. You couldn't even leave your village without special permission. And after obtaining permission to visit for example you sister in nearby town you had to inform that you were really there on your arrival. You might go to gurlag if you failed to do so. In Gurlag you could meet people, whose only crime was to listen to foreign radio station [it was forbidden by law]. After saying or writing something stupid for example "Truman a friend of young people" [ it really happened] a young boy wasn't allow to complete education [I mean he was banned from every school for ever]. Stalin created a state of terror. I'm not a particular fan of the Mullahs, but their state is a Disneyland by comparison. Soviet Union wasn't a developed country by any means, but it certainly wasn't a third world country. It was a strange mixture of both. It wasn't able to develop technology to feed its own people, but at the same time was able to send a man to the space. People working for military complex were given extraordinary privileges so up to a certain point they were churning out pretty good stuff. I don't believe that any comparison between USSR and Iran is valid. However as far as Cuba is concerned You have a point. 3] I know too little about China to argue. As far as Russia is concerned, however, I believe, that you are looking at Russia deals from the Western point of view. In the West political power is used to obtain economic gains. You might not believe, but in the case of Russia is the other way round. Maybe it's simply an example of long-term investment. Authoritarian governments don't have to think about the next election. Whatever is the reason the Russian deals make a lot of sense from political point of view, form the economical point of view Russia is frequently missing the best opportunity. The private ownership in Russia is an illusion. One businessman wanted to be independent. His name is Chodorowsky, he used to be one of the richest people in the world, now his company is bankrupt and he is in jail. If Russia signs a deal with Iran, it certainly makes a lot sense from political point of view. What's more I'm inclined to see short-term economic gains as a byproduct.