Key Points:
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was assassinated on February 28, 2026, in a joint US–Israeli military strike.
Sky News Australia anchor Rita Panahi’s strongly worded on-air reaction to Khamenei’s death went viral on social media.
She cursed the longest-serving head of state in the Middle East in her native tongue, Persian.
On February 28, 2026, the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was assassinated in a strike jointly led by the United States of America and Israel. The strike was part of Operation Epic Fury also known as Operation Roaring Lion. The news of Khamenei’s death sent shockwaves across the globe. Some mourned his death while others celebrated.
The shocking news of Khamenei’s assassination became trending across the globe, while Iranian media paused while reporting the news of the US–Israeli strike. Sky News Australia anchor Rita Panahi shocked viewers with her response to Khamenei's death.
She cursed the longest-serving head of state in the Middle East in her native tongue, Persian. Panahi serves as a senior columnist at the Herald Sun and as a Sky News Australia anchor of The Rita Panahi Show. She was born in America but spent her childhood years in Iran before moving to Australia as a refugee.
Rita Panahi has been a vocal critic of the Iranian regime, often recalling how her family had to flee Iran in 1984. Her reaction to Khamenei’s death has been circulating across social media after she cursed at Ayatollah Khamenei during a show. Rita Panahi said,
You son of a b****, shame on you, burn in hell!
Panahi’s position on Iran has been reshared by several social media accounts, amassing over 100,000 views. She began the segment by telling viewers that she was about to give the shortest editorial she would ever give. On February 28, 2026, Panahi stated, “This will be the shortest editorial I’ll ever deliver.”
She referred to Khamenei as a dictator and claimed that following his assassination, Iran is close to the dawn of freedom. She said, “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.”
The hosts talked about Rita Panahi’s past in Iran. Panahi replied with surprise that she never thought that this day would arrive. “I did not think this would happen in my lifetime,” said Panahi. She shared that she left the country when she was eight or nine, came to Australia, and has never returned to the country ever since.
See Also: Hundreds Gather on the Streets of DC; Opinions Sharply Divided on Iran Strikes
She added that if she had returned to the country “last week,” she would have been captured and “died very quickly.” Rita Panahi further praised US President Donald Trump for ordering military action against Iran ahead of the midterm elections.
The killing of Khamenei has left a void regarding who is going to be the next leader of Iran. Amidst the chaos, Iran has appointed its interim Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Arafi. The large-scale US–Israeli operation conducted air and missile strikes and targeted several senior regime members in its attack.
On March 1, 2026, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) released a statement confirming the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, “guided by accurate IDF intelligence while he was in his central leadership compound in the heart of Tehran, where he was together with additional senior officials.”
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