In the affluent area of Hampstead in North London lies a prestigious street known as Bishops Avenue, often referred to as ‘billionaires row.’ Mojtaba Khamenei, a 56-year-old Iranian leader, is believed to own 11 rundown properties on this exclusive avenue.
Mojtaba Khamenei’s father, Ali Hosseini Khamenei, tragically lost his life in coordinated airstrikes on Tehran in February of this year. Mojtaba himself was injured in the same attacks, which also claimed the lives of his mother and wife.
As the second eldest son of the Ayatollah, Mojtaba Khamenei is currently maintaining a low profile due to fears of potential assassination attempts. Speculations suggest that his health may be more precarious than officially disclosed, especially after his absence from his own succession ceremony.
Reports indicate that a firm facilitated the acquisition of a £73 million ($97.7 million) property portfolio for the Iranian regime on Bishops Avenue in 2013. Despite their deteriorated state, these properties are now estimated to be valued at around £100 million ($133.6 million).
Neighbours of the Ayatollah shared insights with our reporter, revealing that some of the mansions in the area are valued at over £40 million ($53.6 million) each. Mojtaba Khamenei allegedly obtained ownership of these properties through businessman Ali Aliakbar Ansari, as per Bloomberg reports.
Aliakbar Ansari reportedly purchased the mansions through Birch Ventures Limited, a company registered in the Isle of Man, and allowed the properties to fall into disrepair. Despite facing UK sanctions for supporting hostile activities by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Ansari made substantial property investments.
While Bishops Avenue is renowned for its opulent residences, the street currently resembles a construction zone, with ongoing development projects and property conversions. Some properties have been repurposed into care facilities for the elderly, while others are being divided into multiple flats.
The fate of these abandoned mansions, including the ones linked to Khamenei, remains uncertain. Calls for additional sanctions on Iranian-affiliated networks in the UK, led by London-based politician Joe Powell, suggest government intervention to prevent financial gains from the potential sale of these properties.
For now, these empty properties stand as a stark reminder of the over 1 million unoccupied buildings scattered across the UK, awaiting potential regulatory actions to address the issues of neglected real estate.