The story: A top commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has indicated that the aftermath of a “full-scale war” with the United States would set back Iran by “10 to 20 years.” Amir Ali Hajizadeh, who heads the IRGC’s Aerospace Force, made the assessment when explaining the reasoning behind the Islamic Republic’s response to the US assassination of Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani in Iraq in Jan. 2020.

The coverage: Hajizadeh made the statement in an interview with Emtedad TV. The outlet is run by Sharif University students who are members of the Basij, a paramilitary arm of the IRGC...