Inside Mojtaba Khamenei’s luxury empire: The secret global property network of Iran’s heir apparent | World News
A year-long investigative report has uncovered a vast network of luxury real estate and five-star hotels tied to Mojtaba Khamenei, the influential son of Iran’s supreme leader. The 56-year-old cleric reportedly used a complex network of shell companies and offshore accounts to divert billions of dollars to Western markets despite being under US sanctions since 2019.
The investigation, published by Bloomberg, traces the financial path from Iran’s oil fields to London’s exclusive “Billionaire’s Row.”
The London Connection: Mansions and Shell Companies
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At the heart of the empire is Bishops Street in North London, one of the most expensive streets in the world. According to intelligence findings and property records:
– Valuation: The network controls British properties worth more than £100 million ($138 million).
– Obtain Key: In 2014, a certain property in London was purchased for 33.7 million Euros.
– Security: Many of these mansions lie almost empty, guarded by private security and corporate entities registered in the UAE, Isle of Man and the Caribbean.
Continental Hospitality Network
Mojtaba Khamenei’s influence goes beyond just residential real estate. The report identified many high-end commercial properties in Europe and the Middle East:
– European Hotels: Luxury assets, including a hotel in Frankfurt (now under the Hilton brand) and luxury resorts on Spain’s Mallorca coast.
– Dubai Villas: A private villa in an area often referred to as the “Beverly Hills of Dubai”.
– Logistics: Financial power reaching Persian Gulf shipping and secret Swiss bank accounts.
Link between “Corrupt Banker” and Revolutionary Guards
While Mojtaba Khamenei’s name never appeared on official land titles, investigators named 57-year-old Iranian construction magnate Ali Ansari as a key facilitator.
– UK Sanctions: Ansari was sanctioned by Britain last year, with authorities calling him a “corrupt Iranian banker” who offered financial support to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
– denials: Ansari, through his legal counsel, has “strongly denied” any personal or financial ties to Mojtaba Khamenei and is currently appealing British sanctions.
‘Aghazadeh’ scandal: Piety versus luxury
These statements come at a tense time in the Islamic Republic. As Iran endures massive anti-government protests and a faltering economy, the portrayal of the Supreme Leader’s family as humble “servants of the poor” is facing harsh criticism.
– Native Image: State media consistently portrays the Khamenei family as living a life of revolutionary simplicity and sobriety.
– Public Outrage: The term aghzadeh, used by Iranians to refer to the “noble-born” children of officials who display inherited wealth, has become a rallying cry for protesters.
European officials involved in money laundering investigations suggest that the recent freezing of Ansari’s assets could soon lead to the forced sale of his hotel businesses in Europe, potentially exposing even more of the secret network.
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