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) — the powerful Iranian force from which Soleimani hailed and which he served for decades — focused particularly on the rallies in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square, where thousands of Iraqis gathered “to tell the Americans that Iraq is no longer your place.” According to Javan, a complete ouster of US forces from Iraq and other Middle East nations is a popular Iraqi demand, an ambition which Iranian officials also insist will be the true and ultimate revenge for the US killing of Soleimani.

Describing the rally in Baghdad as “a million-man march”, Kayhan, the ultraconservative paper close to the office of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, argued that Soleimani’s “martyrdom” proved counterproductive to what the “Americans and the Zionists” had originally planned. Kayhan further reviewed a series of slogans chanted during the Baghdad rally, including against the country’s Prime Minister, Mustafa al-Kadhemi, “the American mercenary and the coward.”

Outlets linked to the Reformist camp, including Mardomsalari, referred to the Soleimani anniversary rallies as an “uprising” against the US presence in the region with a softer tone, highlighting the demonstrators’ calls on the Iraqi government to implement a parliamentary non-binding vote from back in January 2020 that demands the withdrawal of American troops from the country.

The context/analysis: The Iranian media coverage of the one-year anniversary of the assassination of Soleimani has been particularly interwoven with the pledge for revenge. In the run-up to the occasion, Iranian officials have been ratcheting up the rhetoric, with Soleimani’s successor, Brigadier-General Esmaeil Qa'ani, specifically warning that retaliation could take place inside the United States. Tehran claims it has already come up with a list of 48 individuals it accuses of involvement in the deadly airstrike. Nevertheless, the timing and nature of Iranian revenge is still unclear. Asked by reporters as to when the promised “harsh revenge” will be implemented, the IRGC commander, Major General Hossein Salami, spoke of “certain circumstances” which have yet to materialize.

The Soleimani anniversary was also preceded by a US military buildup in the Persian Gulf involving the repeated deployment of B-52 bombers, a submarine and the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, all reportedly to deter potential Iranian retaliation. The US activities have been seen as provocative on the Iranian side, with the country’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warning that Washington will be held responsible for any adventurism. Iranian generals have meanwhile adopted a tougher approach: Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the country’s missile chief as commander of the IRGC’s Aerospace Force, issued a strongly-worded statement warning that US bases across the region will be within the target range of Iranian missiles if the United States enters a conflict with the Islamic Republic.

The future: While Iranian hard-liners are pressing for revenge, the country’s more moderate forces - and the administration of President Hassan Rouhani in particular - appear to be promoting diplomacy as a the most viable and pragmatic mode of retaliation, with the Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Saeed Khatibzadeh, noting that Tehran will not “rest easy” in its legal pursuit of the case via international institutions.

With the fate of the fragile Iran nuclear deal hanging in the balance after the US withdrawal in May 2018, the Rouhani government has in recent months invested heavily in the prospects of reviving the multilateral accord, expecting the incoming administration of US president-elect Joe Biden to rejoin the deal. Aiming to have the crippling US sanctions lifted, the Islamic Republic seems to be avoiding any provocation for the time being by staying as measured as possible with regard to plans to avenge Soleimani.