Two weeks ago, the Iran Times reported on a study of obituaries in Iranian newspapers concluding that Iran has been sending some combat units from the Pasdaran to fight in Syria for a full year now. The Fars news agency reported Monday that military spokesman Brig. Gen. Masud Jazayeri (photo) had finally denied—or half denied—that report. Fars quoted Jazayeri as saying, “There is no need for our physical presence; the governments and peoples of Syria, Iraq, Yemen and other countries can defend themselves.”