Tehran: As large sections of Iran’s population continue to grapple with economic hardship and shortages, fresh reports allege that Mojtaba Khomeini, son of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khomeini, has quietly built a sprawling international financial empire by evading international sanctions. According to investigative findings, assets and luxury properties worth billions were accumulated abroad even as Iran faced some of the harshest economic restrictions in its history.
The report claims that Mojtaba Khomeini acquired high-value assets in major global financial hubs such as London, Dubai and Frankfurt, circumventing sanctions through covert financial networks. Rather than holding properties directly in his own name, the assets were allegedly purchased through trusted intermediaries and complex corporate structures designed to conceal true ownership.
Central to these transactions is Ali Ansari, an Iranian businessman who is reportedly under British sanctions. Investigators say Ansari acted as a key facilitator, with many investments registered either in his name or through companies he controlled. Funds for these acquisitions are alleged to have originated largely from Iranian oil sales, rerouted through opaque channels to avoid detection.
To further obscure the trail, the wealth was reportedly distributed across multiple shell companies, layered strategically to hide the ultimate beneficiary. Entities such as Ciba Leisure Limited and Birch Ventures Limited, registered in jurisdictions including St. Kitts and Nevis and the Isle of Man, are cited as part of this intricate financial web.
Due to strict sanctions, the movement of funds abroad allegedly relied on highly discreet mechanisms involving intermediaries and offshore structures. Bank accounts in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and the United Arab Emirates were reportedly used to transfer money. The report also notes that Ansari obtained Cypriot citizenship, a move that allegedly eased access to European banking systems and helped distance financial activities from Iran.
The alleged investments include luxury residences worth over £100 million on London’s famed “Billionaires’ Row,” high-end villas in Dubai, and premium hotels in Frankfurt and Mallorca. The findings further suggest that Mojtaba Khomeini’s close links with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) provided additional leverage in securing contracts and facilitating financial operations.
Construction and shipping sectors were also reportedly used as conduits, allowing access to government contracts while enabling large sums to be transferred overseas. These revelations have intensified criticism over economic inequality, as ordinary Iranians continue to endure inflation, unemployment and shortages.
Responding to the allegations, Ali Ansari, through his legal representative, has denied having any personal or financial relationship with Mojtaba Khomeini. Nevertheless, the report has sparked renewed debate over transparency, accountability, and the stark contrast between the struggles of Iran’s citizens and the alleged overseas wealth of those linked to the country’s most powerful leadership.