Sky News Australia anchor Rita Panahi stunned viewers by unleashing a blistering curse on Iran’s leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after he was killed — in her native Persian.
“You son of a b—h, shame on you, burn in hell!” Panahi declared during a segment on Iran, according to a clip circulating on social media Saturday.
The explosive moment, shared by the several accounts on X, racked up more than 100,000 views within hours. The on-screen chyron read: “RITA’S TAKE ON STRIKES ON IRAN.”
“This will be the shortest editorial I’ll ever deliver,” Panahi began her commentary on Sky News Australia on Saturday.
“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.”
Panahi added that she “never thought I would see this day in my lifetime.” She also praised Trump for his “courage” for taking a “risk” in ordering the military action against Iran.
Panahi, a longtime conservative commentator and host of “The Rita Panahi Show” on Sky News Australia, has frequently criticized the Iranian regime, often citing her childhood in Iran before her family fled to Australia as refugees in 1984.
Khamenei, who had ruled the Islamic Republic since 1989, was killed late Saturday in a massive joint US-Israeli military offensive that struck his fortified compound in central Tehran, according to Iranian state media and Western reports.
The operation, described by officials as “Operation Epic Fury” in the US and involving coordinated air and missile strikes, targeted multiple senior regime figures and used real-time intelligence on a rare leadership meeting that morning to maximize surprise.
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and President Donald Trump both confirmed the compound was destroyed and that Khamenei was dead, with reports saying about 40 top Iranian officials were also killed.
Born in Pine Bluff, Ark., to Iranian parents, Panahi spent her early years in Tehran before emigrating to Melbourne. She has spoken publicly about her opposition to the Islamic Republic and its treatment of women.
Saturday’s outburst marked one of her most direct and personal denunciations of the regime’s leadership.
The clip shows Panahi seated on a Sky News set flanked by two male panelists as she delivered the remark in Persian. The show’s branding — “REAL NEWS, HONEST VIEWS” — appeared beneath the segment.
It was not immediately clear whether the comment was made live or during a prerecorded discussion. Sky News Australia has not publicly commented on the viral clip.
Panahi, who also fronts the segment “Lefties Losing It” and appears on the Sunday panel show “Outsiders,” commands a large social media following, with more than 500,000 followers on X.
Her commentary often blends foreign policy, culture-war issues and sharp critiques of progressive politics.
She has previously drawn backlash for controversial remarks, including a 2015 column criticizing Islam and a 2024 on-air correction over a false claim tied to a US political ad.
Sky News Australia is a subsidiary of News Corp Australia, which shares common ownership with The Post’s corporate parent, News Corp.
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