The story: Hassan Irloo, Iran’s ambassador to Yemen and an alleged Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officer, died of Covid-19 in a Tehran hospital on Dec. 21. Tehran believes that Saudi Arabia’s delay in issuing a repatriation permit for Irloo played a role in his death. This initially caused concerns about possible negative effects on Iran-Saudi talks about the restoration of ties. But Tehran has said another round of negotiations is coming up. Meanwhile, a former senior IRGC officer has denied media reports that Irloo was also known as Abdulreza Shahlai, the commander charged with overseeing IRGC-Quds Force activities in Yemen.

The coverage: Irloo’s death has led Iranian officials to criticize Saudi Arabia for its hesitation in helping Tehran to bring back the sick ambassador...