DistantNews
Support us
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia /Economy & Trade

London Apartments Linked to Iran’s Leader Put Up for Sale After Banker Defaults

From Asharq Al-Awsat · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Two luxury London apartments linked by The Sunday Times to Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei have been placed on the market after banker Ali Ansari defaulted on their mortgages.
  • Ansari, whom the United States sanctioned as Khamenei’s key financier, denies accusations that he controls assets for Iran’s leadership and elite.
  • Receivers appointed by private lenders are seeking repayment, while any surplus from the sales is expected to remain frozen under sanctions.

Two luxury London penthouses linked to Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei have been put up for sale after Ali Ansari, an Iranian banker described as the leader’s financial frontman, defaulted on their mortgages, The Sunday Times reported.

The apartments stand at 3a Palace Green, an exclusive development overlooking Kensington Palace and near the official residence of the Prince and Princess of Wales. Ansari bought them in 2014 and 2016 for a combined £36 million. One is a five-bedroom duplex across the sixth and seventh floors. Purchased for £19 million in 2016, it is now being offered for just under £12 million. The second penthouse, bought for £16.75 million in 2014, has also entered receivership.

Private lenders who financed the purchases have appointed receivers to recover the money owed. The British government authorized the properties’ sale after Ansari missed mortgage payments, according to the newspaper. Any money remaining after the lenders are repaid is expected to be frozen while Ansari remains under sanctions.

key financier

· US TreasuryThe Treasury used the phrase when sanctioning Ali Ansari.

The US Treasury sanctioned Ansari in July as Khamenei’s “key financier.” It said he “oversees a sprawling global network of assets benefiting Iran's leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, and other regime elites.” The department accused him of using shell companies and bank accounts in several jurisdictions to build an overseas portfolio of property and commercial interests. Ansari denies the allegations.

Britain sanctioned him in October 2025 with an asset freeze, travel ban and director disqualification, accusing him of financially supporting activities linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The measures came days after Iran’s central bank dissolved Ayandeh, a private bank founded by Ansari’s family, citing longstanding debts and regulatory problems. Melli Bank absorbed its assets. The Sunday Times said Ayandeh had 270 branches and accumulated losses equivalent to about $5.2 billion, alongside roughly $2.9 billion in debts.

oversees a sprawling global network of assets benefiting Iran's leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, and other regime elites.

· US TreasuryThe department described the network it attributed to Ansari.
About this summary

Originally published by Asharq Al-Awsat in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog