Sanctioned Iranian Financer Secures Approval for Luxury London Flats Project
An alleged close associate of Iran's new ayatollah has been granted permission to construct thirty-three luxury apartments in an exclusive north London neighbourhood. Ali Ansari, who was officially added to the United Kingdom's sanctions list in October, received the formal green light for his substantial investment project located on the prestigious Bishops Avenue within the Barnet borough.
This approval proceeded despite Mr Ansari's documented provision of what the UK government terms 'support to hostile activity' by the Iranian regime. The situation has prompted significant concern among politicians and housing experts, who are now raising serious questions about the adequacy of due diligence conducted by local councils and the various professional service firms engaged in the development process.
Professional Firms Engaged Prior to Sanctions
Planning records reveal how the prominent Iranian financier, whose previous role as managing director of an Iranian bank was publicly known, successfully enlisted the services of several prestigious professional firms to manage the project. Notably, the prominent real estate company Savills agreed in June 2025 to manage planning amendments for Mr Ansari's Isle of Man-based company, Birch Ventures Limited. This agreement occurred a full four months before his formal placement on the UK sanctions list.
Additional firms were subsequently instructed by Mr Ansari's company prior to the sanction imposition. These included the developer Harrison Varma, Wolff Architects, and DS2 LLP, an organisation specialising in advising on affordable housing requirements. Critics now directly accuse these entities of failing to carry out proper and thorough due diligence on their client and the source of his funds.
Affordable Housing Requirement Waived
Mr Ansari's planning team successfully convinced Barnet Council officials that including any affordable housing within the luxury development would render the entire project financially unviable. Consequently, the council accepted a cash payment in lieu of providing on-site affordable housing, a decision that has further intensified scrutiny of the approval process.
Margot Mollat, a senior research and policy manager at Transparency International UK, emphasised to the Times that by 2025, sufficient information existed in the public domain to raise legitimate concerns. She stated there was enough data to question the source of his funds, given his status as a prominent businessman from a state associated with high corruption risks.
'Property purchases and planning applications involve lawyers, banks, real estate agents and developers,' Mollat added. 'All of whom should have flagged these transactions given the significant risks associated with Ansari.'
Political Reaction and Legal Response
Joe Powell, the Labour MP for Kensington & Bayswater, commented on the broader implications. 'If professional service providers are acting for a company owned by an Iranian individual linked to figures like Mojtaba Khamenei, then it is clear that further robust steps need to be taken,' he stated. Powell advocated for a fully open register of foreign-owned property within the UK, containing accurate and verified information about ultimate beneficial owners.
In response to the allegations, Roger Gherson, a lawyer representing Ali Ansari, strongly denied any financial relationship between his client and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or the nation's new supreme leader. Gherson clarified Mr Ansari's position, stating, 'It is his intention to challenge the UK government's decision to impose sanctions. In these circumstances where litigation is anticipated, he has no further comment, although he would ask the media not to repeat these unfounded allegations.'
Barnet Council was approached for comment regarding its decision-making process and the due diligence it conducted prior to granting planning permission for the luxury flats development on Bishops Avenue, an area colloquially known as 'Billionaire's Row'.
