Hotels in Europe, Villas in Dubai: Inside the Global Property Empire Linked to Khamenei’s Son

A vast portfolio of luxury properties stretching from London to Dubai has been linked to Mojtaba Khamenei, the second-eldest son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to a year-long international investigation. The findings point to a discreet, oil-funded network of real estate assets valued at more than £100 million, held through shell companies and intermediaries despite longstanding US sanctions.

The investigation traced ownership structures tied to prime locations, including mansions on London’s Bishops Avenue — often referred to as “Billionaire’s Row” — as well as upscale hotels in major European cities and high-end residential property in the Middle East. While none of the assets are registered directly in Mojtaba Khamenei’s name, intelligence assessments and individuals familiar with the transactions indicate his involvement in the network for over a decade.

Documents reviewed as part of the probe reveal that funds used to acquire the properties were routed through financial institutions in the UK, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the United Arab Emirates. The money is believed to have originated largely from Iranian oil revenues. One London property alone was purchased in 2014 for €33.7 million, highlighting the scale of the acquisitions.

Central to the network is Ali Ansari, an Iranian construction tycoon who has been sanctioned by the UK. Authorities have described him as a corrupt banker and businessman accused of providing financial support to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Although Ansari is not currently sanctioned by the EU or the US, he is alleged to have played a key role in moving money offshore through companies registered in jurisdictions such as the UAE, the Isle of Man, and parts of the Caribbean.

These entities were reportedly used to purchase a range of hospitality and real estate assets across Europe, including hotels in Frankfurt and Mallorca. One Frankfurt property, later rebranded under the Hilton name, has attracted scrutiny from local authorities as part of broader money-laundering investigations.

Ansari, through his legal representatives, has denied any financial or personal relationship with Mojtaba Khamenei and said he intends to challenge the sanctions imposed on him. Despite the denial, European officials have indicated that further sanctions could trigger asset freezes or even forced sales of properties linked to the network.

Inside Iran, the revelations stand in sharp contrast to the public image promoted by state media. The Supreme Leader and his family have long been portrayed as living modestly, in keeping with the ideals of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. There is little public evidence that Mojtaba Khamenei has openly displayed wealth or luxury. However, investigators note that the secrecy and scale of the overseas holdings sit uneasily with the regime’s narrative of austerity and moral restraint.

The disclosures come at a time of growing domestic discontent over economic hardship and alleged corruption among elite families. Such figures are often labelled “aghazadeh” — a term used for the children of powerful officials accused of leveraging political influence for personal enrichment. As scrutiny intensifies, the alleged overseas empire linked to Iran’s most powerful family risks deepening questions about transparency, accountability, and inequality within the Islamic Republic.