The story: Iran’s conservative President Ebrahim Raisi has paid a visit to Moscow, where he met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Hardliners at home have sought to portray the trip as a major foreign policy victory in line with strengthening relations with the east. At the same time, the deep distrust among many ordinary Iranians towards Russia has led hardliners and the Raisi administration to emphasize that Putin's Russia is different from its Soviet predecessor.  

The coverage: In a three-hour meeting on Jan. 19, the Iranian and Russian presidents discussed a wide range of issues—including the talks in Vienna geared to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal...