The story: Iran and China have agreed to enhance trade and implement joint projects worth tens of billions of dollars. The understandings were finalized during a trip to Tehran by a Chinese delegation led by Vice Premier Hu Chunhua.

The trip notably comes less than a week after a backlash in Iran over a joint Arab-Chinese statement issued during Chinese President Xi Jinping's high-profile visit to Saudi Arabia.

The coverage: Chunhua met with President Ebrahim Raisi and First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber in Tehran on Dec. 13.

• Raisi expressed Iran's "dismay" at the joint statement issued after the Dec. 9 China-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) meeting in Riyadh. The text made reference to the need for a “peaceful solution” to the “issue” of three Iranian islands claimed by the...