"Death To Khamenei"... Iranian Reporter Sparks Controversy With Slip Of The Tongue On Live TV

by Heo Midam

Published 13 Feb.2026 08:24(KST)

Broadcast Head Fired Over Reporter’s On-Air Slip

An Iranian reporter is facing disciplinary action after making a disparaging remark about the country’s supreme leader by mistake during a live broadcast.

A slip of the tongue on live TV... "I will apologize"

Iranian reporter clarifying a slip of the tongue. Instagram

According to state-run broadcaster IRIB on the 13th (local time), the head of the Hamoon Network, the station for the Sistan and Baluchestan region, was dismissed over remarks made by a reporter during a live broadcast of events held across Iran on the 11th to mark the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. The Hamoon Network has also suspended other individuals involved and referred them to a disciplinary committee.

Footage of the broadcast that has spread on social media shows Hamoon Network reporter Mousab Rasoulizadeh interviewing citizens on the street. Right after saying "Allahu Akbar" (God is great), he said "Marg bar Khamenei" (Death to Khamenei). The phrase is directed at Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader.

As the controversy grew, Rasoulizadeh posted a video on his Instagram account, saying, "I made a mistake in front of many people and gave a pretext to those who oppose the Iranian regime," and added, "I apologize for my mistake."

AFP reported that on the night before the anniversary events, while fireworks were going off in Tehran, the capital of Iran, some citizens came out onto their apartment balconies and actually chanted slogans such as "Death to Khamenei" and "Death to the dictator."

Iranian president issues first public apology for bloody crackdown on anti-government protests

Masoud Pezeshkian, President of Iran. AFP, Yonhap News

As protests against economic hardship that began in December last year spread and calls for the regime to step down grew louder, Iranian authorities on the 8th of last month imposed a nationwide shutdown of the internet and telecommunications and moved to crush the protests with a hard-line response.

Iranian authorities have stated that a total of 3,117 people were killed in the unrest. In contrast, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has said that as of the 11th, it had confirmed that 7,002 people had died and that it was in the process of verifying an additional 11,730 reported deaths. Because Iranian authorities have in the past either downplayed or failed to disclose casualty figures from protest crackdowns, controversy continues over the true scale of the damage.

In connection with this, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian issued his first apology on the 11th for the bloody suppression of the anti-government protests. According to state-run IRIB and the Mehr News Agency, President Pezeshkian said at an Islamic Revolution anniversary event held in Tehran, "The unfortunate events that occurred on January 8-9 brought great sorrow to our country," adding, "I feel ashamed before the people."

Regarding the economic hardship that sparked the anti-government protests, he went on to say, "As president, I apologize to the people for all of the shortcomings," and stressed, "The government is making a serious effort to resolve the problems." This direct apology by the Iranian president is being interpreted as an attempt to calm public discontent and strengthen internal cohesion within the system.