‘Burn in hell’: TV host’s explosive on-air reaction to Ali Khamenei killing goes viral, watch video here
Panahi praised Trump for his “courage” in taking what she described as a “risk” in ordering the military action.
- Mar 2, 2026,
- Updated Mar 2, 2026 5:05 PM IST
An explosive on-air moment from Sky News Australia host Rita Panahi has gone viral after she delivered a blistering rebuke in Persian following reports that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, was killed in a joint US-Israeli military operation.
Also read: 'I got him before he got me': Trump says after Khamenei killed in US-Israel strikes
During a segment on Saturday, Panahi stunned viewers by switching to her native Persian and declaring: “You son of a b—h, shame on you, burn in hell!” The on-screen chyron read: “RITA’S TAKE ON STRIKES ON IRAN.”
“This will be the shortest editorial I’ll ever deliver,” Panahi began. “All I have to say is that after 47 years of Islamist tyranny, the dictator is dead and Iran is on the verge of being liberated.”
She added that she “never thought I would see this day in my lifetime.”
The clip, widely shared across social media platform X, amassed more than 100,000 views within hours, with users debating both the language and the historic nature of the moment.
Khamenei, who had ruled the Islamic Republic since 1989, was reportedly killed late Saturday in what officials described as a massive joint US-Israeli offensive targeting his fortified compound in central Tehran. Iranian state media and Western reports said the operation — referred to by US officials as “Operation Epic Fury” — involved coordinated air and missile strikes based on real-time intelligence about a rare leadership meeting.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump both confirmed the compound had been destroyed and that Khamenei was dead. Reports also indicated that about 40 top Iranian officials were killed in the strike.
According to The New York Post, Panahi praised Trump for his “courage” in taking what she described as a “risk” in ordering the military action.
A longtime conservative commentator and host of “The Rita Panahi Show,” Panahi has frequently criticised the Iranian regime, often referencing her own childhood in Iran before her family fled to Australia as refugees in 1984.
Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, to Iranian parents, she spent her early years in Tehran before emigrating to Melbourne.
Saturday’s outburst marked one of her most personal denunciations of the regime’s leadership. Seated between two male panelists on the Sky News set — under the network’s tagline “REAL NEWS, HONEST VIEWS” — Panahi delivered her remarks in a moment that has since become one of the most talked-about reactions to the dramatic developments in Tehran.
It remains unclear whether the segment aired live or was prerecorded. Sky News Australia has not publicly commented on the viral clip.
An explosive on-air moment from Sky News Australia host Rita Panahi has gone viral after she delivered a blistering rebuke in Persian following reports that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, was killed in a joint US-Israeli military operation.
Also read: 'I got him before he got me': Trump says after Khamenei killed in US-Israel strikes
During a segment on Saturday, Panahi stunned viewers by switching to her native Persian and declaring: “You son of a b—h, shame on you, burn in hell!” The on-screen chyron read: “RITA’S TAKE ON STRIKES ON IRAN.”
“This will be the shortest editorial I’ll ever deliver,” Panahi began. “All I have to say is that after 47 years of Islamist tyranny, the dictator is dead and Iran is on the verge of being liberated.”
She added that she “never thought I would see this day in my lifetime.”
The clip, widely shared across social media platform X, amassed more than 100,000 views within hours, with users debating both the language and the historic nature of the moment.
Khamenei, who had ruled the Islamic Republic since 1989, was reportedly killed late Saturday in what officials described as a massive joint US-Israeli offensive targeting his fortified compound in central Tehran. Iranian state media and Western reports said the operation — referred to by US officials as “Operation Epic Fury” — involved coordinated air and missile strikes based on real-time intelligence about a rare leadership meeting.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump both confirmed the compound had been destroyed and that Khamenei was dead. Reports also indicated that about 40 top Iranian officials were killed in the strike.
According to The New York Post, Panahi praised Trump for his “courage” in taking what she described as a “risk” in ordering the military action.
A longtime conservative commentator and host of “The Rita Panahi Show,” Panahi has frequently criticised the Iranian regime, often referencing her own childhood in Iran before her family fled to Australia as refugees in 1984.
Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, to Iranian parents, she spent her early years in Tehran before emigrating to Melbourne.
Saturday’s outburst marked one of her most personal denunciations of the regime’s leadership. Seated between two male panelists on the Sky News set — under the network’s tagline “REAL NEWS, HONEST VIEWS” — Panahi delivered her remarks in a moment that has since become one of the most talked-about reactions to the dramatic developments in Tehran.
It remains unclear whether the segment aired live or was prerecorded. Sky News Australia has not publicly commented on the viral clip.