Sky News Host Celebrates Khamenei Death With On-Air Rebuke

For millions who fled Iran’s theocracy, the news felt surreal. For one Iranian-born broadcaster, it was deeply personal.

On Sky News Australia, commentator delivered a blistering on-air rebuke following confirmation that had been killed in a coordinated U.S.-Israeli military operation known as Operation Epic Fury.

“This will be the shortest editorial I’ll ever deliver,” Panahi said. “After 47 years of Islamist tyranny, the dictator is dead, and Iran is on the verge of being liberated. I never thought I would see this day in my lifetime.”

She concluded her remarks with a scathing phrase in Persian, telling the longtime Iranian ruler to “rot in hell.”

Panahi left Iran as a child after the 1979 Islamic Revolution ushered in clerical rule. Since then, she has been a vocal critic of the regime’s repression, censorship, and human rights abuses.

“If I went to Iran last week, I’d be trapped in prison and dead rather quickly,” she said, explaining that her public criticism would make her an immediate target.

Iran consistently ranks among the world’s top executioners per capita. Human rights organizations estimate that thousands of political prisoners have been executed over the past four decades. Women’s rights activists, journalists, and dissidents have faced imprisonment, torture, and forced confessions.

For Panahi, the moment marked more than a geopolitical shift it was the fall of a regime she says robbed her of the ability to return home or safely introduce her son to the country of her birth.

Her co-anchor, Rowan Dean, acknowledged the emotional weight of the moment, noting the pain she had endured watching events unfold from afar.

The strike that killed Khamenei was part of a sweeping joint U.S.-Israeli campaign targeting Iran’s leadership and military infrastructure. President confirmed that American forces participated in the broader offensive.

Iran’s regime has long been designated by the United States as a state sponsor of terrorism. It has funded proxy groups across the Middle East, including Hezbollah and Hamas, and has pursued ballistic missile and nuclear programs that have drawn years of sanctions and diplomatic standoffs.

Operation Epic Fury reportedly eliminated multiple senior Iranian officials alongside Khamenei, dealing a historic blow to the Islamic Republic’s command structure.

Iran responded with missile and drone strikes, escalating tensions across the region.

Panahi also praised Trump for authorizing the operation during an election year, calling it politically risky but morally necessary.

“Even many on his own side don’t want America involved in Iran’s internal politics,” she said. “So for him to do this is such an enormous risk, but it’s the right thing to do.”

Foreign policy decisions during election cycles often carry heightened political consequences. Historically, military actions abroad can influence voter perceptions of leadership strength or provoke backlash among war-weary constituents.

Whether the strike ultimately stabilizes the region or fuels further escalation remains uncertain. What is clear is that for many Iranian dissidents living abroad, the moment feels like long-delayed justice.

For nearly half a century, Khamenei and the clerical establishment defined Iran’s political and religious direction. His death marks the end of an era and potentially the beginning of a power struggle inside the regime.

For Panahi, it was something more intimate: a day she believed she might never witness.

As she signed off her remarks, her tone carried equal parts relief and disbelief a reminder that global headlines often represent deeply personal milestones for those who lived under the systems now collapsing.

For continued coverage on global developments and the future of Iran, share this article or subscribe to our newsletter for updates.