Iran's new leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is believed to own at least 11 dilapidated properties on The Bishops Avenue in Hampstead, an exclusive street known as 'billionaires row'. The properties, acquired through disgraced businessman Ali Aliakbar Ansari, are now estimated to be worth around £100 million despite their decrepit condition.
The late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei died in airstrikes on Tehran in February, and his son Mojtaba was reportedly injured in the same attacks. He has since kept a low profile amid fears of further assassination attempts, and speculation about his health has grown after he missed his own succession ceremony.
One neighbour said the mansions have been unoccupied for decades, with one sold for £12 million in the 1990s now worth £40 million. The properties were reportedly purchased through Birch Ventures Limited, registered in the Isle of Man, and have been left to fall into disrepair.
Security guards patrol the area, and one challenged a reporter photographing a suspected Khamenei property, refusing to confirm ownership. Contractors working nearby described the homes as 'ghost houses', noting no one ever enters or leaves them.
The properties are part of a £73 million portfolio acquired in 2013, now valued at £100 million. Ansari, who faces UK sanctions for funding 'hostile activity' by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, also bought a £33.7 million mansion and an £8.1 million flat on the same street.
