The story: A prominent Iranian news agency says funds that have been frozen in Iraq due to US sanctions are now available for food and medicine imports. However, the report has been disputed by a member of the Iran-Iraq Chamber of Commerce.

The claimed development is seen by some Iranian outlets as a “positive signal” from the Joe Biden administration, as talks to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal enter the final stretch.

The coverage: The hardline Tasnim news agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), reported on Jan. 29 that Iran’s Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade had asked importers for a list of items that they would like to purchase using funds held in Iraq...