From Tehran to London’s Billionaire’s Row: How Khamenei’s son built a hidden £100 million property empire despite US sanctions

File photo of Mojtaba Khamenei, the younger son of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Bloomberg reports Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Iran’s Supreme Leader, is linked to over £100 million in overseas assets via offshore companies, despite sanctions. Properties span London, Dubai, and Europe, with intermediaries obscuring ownership and intensifying scrutiny.

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Fresh disclosures about the hidden overseas wealth of Mojtaba Khamenei, the younger son of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have put renewed international focus on how members of Iran’s ruling elite continue to accumulate vast assets abroad despite years of Western sanctions.

A recent investigative report by Bloomberg reveals that properties and financial assets worth well over £100 million are linked to Mojtaba Khamenei through a web of offshore companies and intermediaries. A significant concentration of this wealth is located in London’s elite “Billionaire’s Row”, where 11 properties tied to his network are now valued at around £100 million.

A global footprint of assets

The investigation shows that Mojtaba Khamenei’s financial footprint extends far beyond the UK. Assets allegedly linked to his network include luxury residential properties in London held via offshore structures, high-end villas in exclusive neighbourhoods in Dubai, and commercial real estate and hotel properties across Europe, including Germany and Spain. In addition, investigators point to financial assets held through foreign bank accounts and investment vehicles spread across multiple jurisdictions.

Crucially, none of these properties are publicly registered in Mojtaba Khamenei’s own name. Instead, ownership is attributed to shell companies, trusts and third-party individuals, a structure designed to obscure beneficial ownership and complicate legal scrutiny.

The role of a key intermediary

Investigators say the financial network relies heavily on intermediaries, with one name appearing repeatedly: Ali Ansari, an Iranian-born businessman later sanctioned by the United Kingdom. British authorities have described Ansari as a “corrupt Iranian banker and businessman” accused of financing Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other regime-linked activities.

The IRGC has been associated with violent crackdowns during anti-regime protests in Iran, which opposition groups claim resulted in tens of thousands of deaths. According to investigators cited in the Bloomberg report, companies linked to Ansari were allegedly used to acquire, manage and hold overseas assets connected to Mojtaba Khamenei’s interests. Funds are believed to have moved through layered transactions involving the UK, the UAE, Switzerland and offshore financial centres.

Analysts and sanctions officials have suggested that state-linked revenues, including oil income, may have been channelled into these structures. Both Ansari and Iranian officials have denied any improper relationship or wrongdoing, and some legal challenges to sanctions are ongoing.

Sanctions and growing scrutiny

Mojtaba Khamenei has been under US sanctions since 2019 due to his role within the Supreme Leader’s office and alleged links to Iran’s security apparatus. Although he holds no formal elected position and rarely appears in public, he is widely regarded as a powerful behind-the-scenes figure with deep influence over Iran’s political and military establishment.

In recent years, sanctions enforcement agencies in the United States and the United Kingdom have intensified efforts to trace assets and uncover beneficial ownership linked to Iran’s leadership circle. These efforts have resulted in property freezes, expanded financial scrutiny and closer monitoring of offshore corporate structures.

What lies ahead

The future of Mojtaba Khamenei’s overseas financial network will depend largely on how aggressively Western governments enforce existing sanctions and whether further evidence emerges directly linking him to specific assets. Greater cooperation between financial regulators and law enforcement agencies could bring additional pressure on intermediaries and shell companies associated with his network.

At the same time, Mojtaba Khamenei’s political significance inside Iran adds another layer of sensitivity. He is often viewed as a potential successor to his father, a prospect that could intensify international scrutiny of both his political role and his alleged financial empire. Any formal move toward succession would likely place his wealth and influence under an even harsher global spotlight.