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Trump Suggests Renaming New Mexico State 'New America'

From Asharq Al-Awsat · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

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  • Two London penthouses linked by U.S. authorities to Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei have been put up for sale after financier Ali Ansari defaulted on their mortgages, The Sunday Times reported.
  • Ansari, whom the U.S. Treasury describes as a key financier for Khamenei, denies the accusations and remains under U.S. and British sanctions.
  • The properties, bought for a combined £36 million, are being sold through receivers, with any surplus expected to remain frozen under the sanctions.

Two luxury London penthouses linked to Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei have been put up for sale after the Iranian banker believed to act as his frontman defaulted on their mortgages, The Sunday Times reported.

The properties are at 3a Palace Green, an exclusive development overlooking Kensington Palace and near the official residence of the Prince and Princess of Wales. Banker Ali Ansari bought one penthouse in 2014 for £16.75 million and the other in 2016 for £19 million, spending £36 million in total.

The British government authorized the sale after private lenders appointed receivers to recover the money owed. One property, a five-bedroom duplex across the sixth and seventh floors, is now being offered for just under £12 million. The second penthouse, which occupies the seventh and eighth floors, has also entered receivership. Any money left after the lenders are repaid is expected to remain frozen while Ansari is under sanctions.

key financier

· U.S. TreasuryThe Treasury used the phrase when sanctioning Ali Ansari over his alleged role in supporting Mojtaba Khamenei.

The U.S. Treasury sanctioned Ansari in July and called him Khamenei’s “key financier.” The Treasury said Ansari “oversees a sprawling global network of assets benefiting Iran's leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, and other regime elites.” It accused him of using shell companies and bank accounts in several jurisdictions to build an overseas portfolio spanning Britain, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Cyprus and the United Arab Emirates. Ansari denies the accusations.

Britain sanctioned him in October 2025 with an asset freeze, travel ban and director disqualification, accusing him of financially supporting activities by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The measures followed the dissolution of Ayandeh Bank, founded by Ansari’s family, after Iran’s central bank cited longstanding debts and regulatory problems. The bank had 270 branches, accumulated losses equivalent to about $5.2 billion and roughly $2.9 billion in debt. State-owned Melli Bank absorbed its assets.

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

· U.S. TreasuryThe Treasury described the network it attributed to Ansari.
About this summary

Originally published by Asharq Al-Awsat. 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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