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London apartments linked to Iran’s leader put up for sale after financier defaults

From Asharq Al-Awsat · () English

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

At a glance

News Documents & data Outcome reported
  • Two luxury London apartments linked by The Sunday Times to Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei have been placed into receivership after banker Ali Ansari defaulted on their mortgages.
  • The properties, bought for a combined £36 million, are being sold after Ansari was sanctioned by the United States and Britain over alleged financial support for Iranian elites and the Revolutionary Guards.
  • Ansari denies the accusations, while any proceeds remaining after lenders are repaid are expected to remain frozen under sanctions.

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

The penthouses are 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.

The United States sanctioned Ansari in July and described him as Khamenei’s “key financier.” The US Treasury said he oversaw a global network of assets benefiting Khamenei and other Iranian regime elites. It accused him of using shell companies and bank accounts in several jurisdictions to build an overseas portfolio of property and commercial interests.

The alleged network extended across Britain, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Cyprus and the United Arab Emirates, according to the Treasury. The department said interests held in Ansari’s name ultimately benefited Khamenei, his family, other Iranian elites and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Ansari denies the accusations.

key financier

· US TreasuryThe Treasury used this designation when sanctioning Ali Ansari.

Britain sanctioned him in October 2025, imposing an asset freeze, travel ban and director disqualification after accusing him of supporting IRGC activities. The sanctions came days after Iran’s central bank dissolved Ayandeh, a private bank founded by Ansari’s family, citing longstanding debts and regulatory problems. State-owned Melli Bank absorbed its assets. Ayandeh had 270 branches, but its accumulated losses reached about $5.2 billion and its debts stood at roughly $2.9 billion.

The Sunday Times said the British government authorized the property sales after Ansari missed mortgage payments. Private lenders appointed receivers to recover the money owed. Any funds left after repayment are expected to be frozen while Ansari remains sanctioned.

One apartment is a five-bedroom duplex across the sixth and seventh floors. Bought for £19 million in 2016, it is now listed at just under £12 million. A second penthouse, spanning the seventh and eighth floors, was bought for £16.75 million in 2014 and has also entered receivership.

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

· US TreasuryThe Treasury described the alleged network behind Ansari’s overseas assets.
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.

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