Mojtaba Khamenei Sparks Controversy After Revealing Ownership of Two Luxury Apartments Near the Israeli Embassy in London

A recent news report has sparked widespread controversy after revealing that Mojtaba Khamenei owns two luxury apartments in the Kensington area of West London, directly overlooking the Israeli embassy in London, at a time when his name is being circulated as one of the candidates to succeed his late father, Ali Khamenei.

Luxury apartments valued at over £50 million

According to an investigation published by Bloomberg, the apartments are located on the sixth and seventh floors of a luxury residential building, with an estimated value of over £50 million.
Additionally, the apartments include staff rooms on the ground floor and are just steps away from Kensington Palace, the official residence of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Reports indicate that Khamenei's son, who is 56 years old, has owned the properties since 2014, but their ownership was not revealed until after an investigation that lasted nearly a full year.

11 additional properties through a shell company

The investigation also revealed that Mojtaba Khamenei owns 11 other luxury properties in the Hampstead area of North London, through a shell company named Birch Ventures Limited registered in the Isle of Man.
Documents showed that these properties were purchased through a frontman named "Ansari," and the total value of the property purchase deal in 2013 was approximately £73 million.

Suspicion of monitoring the Israeli embassy

For his part, counter-terrorism expert Roger Macmillan stated that the location of the apartments near the Israeli embassy – less than 50 meters away – could allow for monitoring of employees and visitors.
He explained that the location could also enable the capturing of sounds from the embassy's outdoor garden or the use of advanced techniques to surveil the building.

Freezing of properties by British decision

Documents revealed that all 13 properties, including the Kensington apartments, have been placed under a freezing order by the British Treasury since October 2025, preventing their sale or disposal.

Arrests related to espionage suspicions

The revelation of this information coincided with the announcement by British authorities of the arrest of several Iranians in North London on suspicion of involvement in espionage activities for Iranian intelligence agencies.
Reports indicated that four individuals were arrested in North London, while six others were detained in the Harrow area on suspicion of providing support and assistance to the suspects.