A anchor on Sky News Australia delivered a blunt message live on air: "A message to the late Supreme Leader: You son of a b*tch, burn in Hell!"

Iran experienced both shock and celebration on Sunday after state television announced that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been killed in a US-Israeli attack a day earlier.The early morning broadcast was emotional. The anchor’s voice trembled as she confirmed the death of the man who had ruled the country for 36 years. Within hours, images from across the country showed two very different reactions – public mourning in some cities, open celebration in others.

On-air outburst

While parts of Iran mourned, a very different scene played out on international television. Rita Panahi, a anchor on Sky News Australia delivered a blunt message live on air: "A message to the late Supreme Leader: You son of a b*tch, burn in Hell!"The clip circulated widely on social media, triggering a chain of reaction online. One user wrote, “Sky News Australia is a whole different vibe.”Another wrote, “Aaaahhh this hits the spot.” A user even praised her as “A real Persian princess.” 

Several purported videos posted on social media showed scenes of celebration and defiance in multiple Iranian towns and cities.

According to footages reviewed by Reuters, in Dehloran in Ilam province, people were seen cheering as a statue was toppled. In Karaj city, near Tehran in Alborz province, videos showed residents dancing in the streets. Similar celebrations were reported from Izeh in Khuzestan province.

In the southern town of Galleh Dar, a monument commemorating Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic in 1979, was knocked down, according to a video shared online.