Iran TV reporter appears to say 'Death to Khamenei' on live broadcast

A reporter on Iran’s state TV on Wednesday appeared to accidentally say “Death to Khamenei” during his sign-off in a live broadcast marking the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in the southeastern Iranian city of Zahedan.

Following the incident, Iran’s state broadcaster said it dismissed the provincial broadcast director and summoned several staff for disciplinary review.

The reporter's apparent slip of the tongue circulated widely online on Wednesday, alongside footage of a mosque sermon in which a speaker nearly uttered the same phrase, drawing laughter from onlookers. “Death to Khamenei” has become a recurring chant in anti-government protests, including during January’s nationwide demonstrations.