A luxurious penthouse located in one of London's most prestigious districts is being prepared for sale. It is valued at approximately 12 million pounds sterling, equivalent to about 140 million rupees. Another penthouse in the same building was purchased for 16.75 million pounds sterling. The combined initial cost of both properties reaches approximately 36 million pounds sterling, or about 450 million rupees.
These properties are allegedly linked to Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khomeini. However, official records indicate that the owner of these properties is Iranian banker Ali Ansari. The reason for the sale is his failure to make mortgage payments. Subsequently, creditors initiated property liquidation procedures to recover their funds.
These properties are not just apartments but extremely luxurious penthouses in an elite London area. The first penthouse occupies the sixth and seventh floors of the building and is a duplex spanning approximately 3,944 square feet. It includes five bedrooms, as well as a separate staff quarters and a private roof terrace.
This first penthouse is now listed for sale at approximately 12 million pounds sterling. Notably, Ali Ansari acquired it in 2016 for a sum of about 19 million pounds sterling, representing a price reduction of approximately 7 million pounds sterling.
The second penthouse is also in the same building, occupying the seventh and eighth floors. It is also equipped with separate staff quarters and a private rooftop terrace. Ansari bought it in 2014 for 16.75 million pounds sterling, but it has not yet been put up for public sale, so its current price is unknown.
Beyond the staggering value, the location of these properties is causing significant controversy. The penthouses are situated near Kensington Palace and offer views of Kensington Gardens. However, another notable feature is that they are less than 50 meters from the Israeli embassy in London.
It is reported that these residences offer a direct line of sight to the rear of the embassy. This has raised security concerns regarding the properties. Counter-terrorism expert Roger McMillan stated that from such a vantage point, individuals entering and exiting the embassy can be observed and photographed. He also noted that due to the short distance, more advanced surveillance methods, such as eavesdropping on external conversations or attacking windows and wireless networks, are theoretically possible.
Nevertheless, there is no evidence that these apartments were used for espionage or surveillance. The Israeli embassy declined to comment on the matter.
It is important to understand that official documents name Ali Ansari, not Ayatollah Khomeini directly, as the owner of both penthouses. The connection to Khomeini arose from an investigation into an alleged international real estate network linked to Iran's ruling class. In January, a Bloomberg investigation linked numerous elite properties in London and other countries to Khomeini.
The report claimed that these assets were controlled through various shell companies, trusted partners, and intermediaries. The investigation also mentioned 11 luxury homes on Bishop Avenue in North London, known as the 'Billionaires' Spot'. Although the initial Bloomberg investigation did not include these two Palaces Green penthouses, British newspapers later linked these apartments to Khomeini by combining data from property registries and information on alleged financial networks.
The situation is complicated by the fact that in July, the US Treasury imposed sanctions on Ali Ansari. America named him as Khomeini's chief financier and accused him of managing an international asset network that benefited the Supreme Leader of Iran and other members of the ruling class. The UK had also previously imposed restrictions on Ansari, accusing him of providing financial support to the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). His assets were frozen in the UK, and he is banned from entering the country. Ansari's lawyer has denied all these allegations, stating that Ansari has no financial ties to Khomeini or the IRGC, and intends to challenge the British sanctions.
Returning to the sale issue, these properties, purchased for 36 million pounds sterling, are being sold because Ali Ansari failed to repay the mortgages. Following this, private creditors appointed administrators to recover the debt. It is presumed that the UK government has approved the sale of these properties. Proceeds from the sale will first go towards repaying creditors' debts and covering costs associated with the property sale. Any remaining amount is expected to remain frozen due to the sanctions placed on Ansari.