The Story: Several rallies were held in Iran (and neighboring Iraq among other places in the region) on Sunday to commemorate former Quds Force commander, General Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a US airstrike outside Baghdad’s international airport on Jan. 3, 2020. One year on, the promise of revenge for the commander remains a heated topic of debate in Iran, with harsh rhetoric from the men in uniform at a moment when the Persian Gulf is witnessing heightened tensions amid intense saber rattling.

The Coverage: Iranian media outlets gave extensive coverage to the “commander of hearts” with editorials and words of unprecedented praise, elevating Soleimani to the status of a “national hero.” Javan, a hard-line daily affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)...