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Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, purchased his luxury homes in London through the use of legal loopholes and transferring ownership to an Iranian businessman, an investigation conducted by Shomrim and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) published on Thursday found.
The investigation found that a loan of some £36 million was granted as part of a transaction that ultimately led to Khamenei's acquisition of a London property.
Currently, Khamenei is said to control a financial empire worth at least $3 billion in London, Britain, the UAE, and several other European countries, in addition to Iran, yet none of these assets appear in his name on official ownership documents.
Mojtaba Khamenei's top businessman, Ali Ansari
Ali Ansari, an Iranian businessman, is Mojtaba Khamenei's agent for property acquisitions and investments.
Ansari’s reported dealings in Europe ended last October when British authorities sanctioned him and froze his assets.
Germany and Canada also opened inquiries into Ansari following a Bloomberg investigation released earlier this year that detailed his dealings with the Iranian regime. However, Ansar contested the report and claimed he had no connection to Khamenei.