Iran’s newly appointed supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has been linked to two luxury apartments in London that overlook the Israeli Embassy, raising security concerns, according to multiple media reports. The properties, located in Kensington’s Palace Green, were reportedly purchased via intermediaries in 2014 and 2016. Security experts say their proximity enables a direct line of sight into the embassy, potentially allowing ongoing surveillance.
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A Bloomberg investigation revealed that the apartments occupy upper floors of a building adjacent to the embassy compound, with less than 50 meters separating them from sensitive Israeli diplomatic sites. Roger Macmillan, former security director at the Iran International satellite channel, described the properties as a “permanent surveillance platform” rather than a standard real estate portfolio.
The London flats form part of a wider network of high-value assets linked to Khamenei, estimated to total approximately $138 million across Europe and the Gulf region. The Bloomberg report detailed how a businessman acted as a financial conduit to acquire the properties using a complex structure of shell companies and investment vehicles.
The Financial Times and UK media have also reported on related purchases, including 11 mansions on London’s “Billionaire’s Row” involving associates of Khamenei. The apartments’ strategic location next to one of Israel’s most sensitive diplomatic premises has been described by a terrorism expert as a “serious security breach.”
Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, became Iran’s supreme leader following the death of his father in a Tehran compound attack on February 28. Since his selection by Iran’s Assembly of Experts, he has yet to be publicly seen. The revelations about his overseas property holdings add a new dimension to concerns about Iran’s international activities.
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