Foreign media have brought attention to Mojtaba Khamenei's wealth.
Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of Atajollah Ali Khamenei, was elected as Iran's supreme leader after his father was killed in a US and Israeli attack on Iran.
While Iranian authorities have not yet made an official announcement, Israeli and Western media are reporting that Mojtaba, known for his strong conservative views, has been appointed to take on the role of Iran's supreme leader, a position he has held for 47 years.
The attack caused the deaths of his mother, wife and one of his sisters, while Mojtaba was reportedly not present and has so far escaped the heavy bombardment.
Khamenei's wealth and lifestyle abroad
Recent reports about Mojtaba have drawn attention, as he has largely lived out of the public eye. According to a Bloomberg investigation, the son of the former Iranian leader owns two luxury apartments in Kensington, West London, overlooking the Israeli Embassy, raising security concerns. The value of the properties is believed to exceed £50 million.
The apartments are located on the sixth and seventh floors, with ancillary spaces on the ground floor, just a few metres from Kensington Palace, the official residence of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Mojtaba, 56, has owned the properties since 2014. Investigations have also revealed that Khamenei owns 11 luxury homes in Hampstead, north London, through a shell company registered in the Isle of Man. His international real estate portfolio is estimated to be worth hundreds of millions of pounds.
Suspicions of surveillance against the Israeli Embassy
The revelation that Mojtaba Khamenei, a senior member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, owns properties overlooking the Israeli Embassy has raised fears that these properties may have been used for espionage activities.
The development follows the arrest of four Iranians in north London on Friday morning on suspicion of spying for Iranian intelligence services. The detainees, Iranians and British-Iranians with dual citizenship, are suspected of spying on Jewish spaces and individuals, including synagogues and potential worshippers.
