The story: In Iran, conservative media have hailed the public appearance of Quds Force Commander Esmail Qa’ani, mocking foreign and opposition outlets over speculations about his absence from the public eye. In recent weeks, foreign-based outlets reported that Qa’ani had possibly been killed or injured in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut. Rumors subsequently emerged that he was being questioned as part of a counter-intelligence probe.

These dynamics have given rise to claims that the Islamic Republic may have carried out a disinformation operation to confuse its...