£36m Kensington penthouses linked to Iran’s leader go on sale after mortgage default

Two luxury penthouses at 3a Palace Green in Kensington, bought for a combined £35.75–£36 million in 2014 and 2016, have been put up for sale after their registered owner defaulted on the mortgages.

• 3a Palace Green, Kensington: five-bedroom duplex, 6th/7th floors — bought 2016 for £19m; listed just under £12m.

• Same building, 7th/8th floors — bought 2014 for £16.75m; no public asking price reported.

• Combined original purchase price about £35.75–£36m.

The registered owner is Iranian banker Ali Ansari. The US Treasury designated him in July as a “key financier” for Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. The UK had already sanctioned Ansari in October 2025. Ansari denies any financial relationship with Khamenei or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The story

• Two luxury penthouses at 3a Palace Green in Kensington, bought for a combined £35.75–£36 million in 2014 and 2016, have been put up for sale after their registered owner defaulted on the mortgages. The registered owner is Iranian banker Ali Ansari. The US Treasury designated him in July as a “key financier” for Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.

• The UK had already sanctioned Ansari in October 2025. Ansari denies any financial relationship with Khamenei or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

• The properties overlook Kensington Palace and sit close to the official London residence of the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Israeli embassy. One is a five-bedroom duplex across the sixth and seventh floors (bought for £19 million in 2016, now listed at just under £12 million). The second occupies the seventh and eighth floors (bought for £16.75 million in 2014) and has no public asking price in reports. Both have staff accommodation and private roof terraces.

• Reports citing The Sunday Times say the British government recently granted permission for the sales after the defaults. Private lenders appointed receivers to recover their money. Land Registry documents cited in coverage identify Teneo as receiver for at least one of the flats. Knight Frank and Sotheby’s International Realty are jointly marketing the five-bedroom duplex.

• Listings note the property is in receivership and that the agents do not hold all material information. Any surplus after lenders and costs is expected to remain frozen while Ansari is under sanctions.

• The flats are registered in Ansari’s name.

• Wider reporting on his London portfolio links other properties, especially on The Bishops Avenue, to the Isle of Man company Birch Ventures Limited. He holds passports from Iran, Cyprus, and Saint Kitts and Nevis and has a Dubai address on file.

Connected to these properties, according to all the press reporting,[links follow at the end] are

People

• Ali Ansari, 57 — Iranian banker, registered owner of both flats; sanctioned by the UK (Oct 2025) and US Treasury/OFAC (July); denies any financial link to Mojtaba Khamenei or the IRGC.

• Mojtaba Khamenei — Iran’s supreme leader; alleged by US Treasury and investigative reports to be the ultimate beneficiary. Not named on title.

• Roger Gherson, Gherson LLP — Ansari’s lawyer; has issued denials and said Ansari will challenge UK sanctions.

Jurisdictions

• United Kingdom (England) — properties at 3a Palace Green, Kensington; Land Registry; UK sanctions, asset freeze, travel ban; government permission for sale; English receivership.

• United States — OFAC designation of Ansari as “key financier” for Khamenei.

• Iran — Ansari; collapsed Ayandeh Bank; alleged beneficiary Khamenei.

• Isle of Man — Birch Ventures Limited and related vehicles used in the wider London portfolio (especially Bishops Avenue). Palace Green flats themselves are reported in Ansari’s personal name.

• Cyprus — Ansari’s Cypriot passport; nationality recorded as Cypriot on some UK filings.

• Saint Kitts and Nevis — passport and holding company Smart Global Limited (US designation).

• United Arab Emirates (Dubai) — Ansari’s reported base and correspondence address (Emirates Hills).

• Also named in the wider US Treasury description of his network (not required for these two flats): Germany, Luxembourg, Spain.

Firms and professionals

• Knight Frank and Sotheby’s International Realty — jointly marketing the five-bedroom duplex.

• Teneo — a financial advisory firm cited as the receiver on Land Registry documents for at least one flat.

• Unnamed private lenders — financed the purchases, appointed receivers after default. Borrowed amounts not disclosed.

• Gherson LLP — legal representation for Ansari.

• Birch Ventures Limited (Isle of Man, Companies House OE010111) — vehicle for other London holdings; Ansari listed as beneficial owner.

• Smart Global Limited (St Kitts and Nevis) — holding company named in US action.

• UK Land Registry, UK sanctions authorities, US Treasury/OFAC.

These links are drawn from sanctions notices and reporting that cites The Sunday Times. Title documents name Ansari, not Khamenei. Ansari denies the alleged relationship.

Sources (full URLs)

https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/09/06/luxury-london-penthouses-linked-to-mojtaba-khamenei-put-up-for-sale/

https://gulfnews.com/world/mena/five-bedrooms-embassy-views-inside-36m-london-penthouses-linked-to-mojtaba-khamenei-1.500665571

https://www.theweek.in/news/middle-east/2026/09/06/london-apartments-linked-to-khameneis-son-for-sale-overlooking-kensington-palace.html

https://www.arabtimesonline.com/news/london-penthouses-linked-to-irans-supreme-leader-put-up-for-sale/

https://www.livemint.com/industry/real-estate/459-crore-5-bedrooms-and-near-the-israeli-embassy-inside-mojtaba-khamenei-linked-london-homes-up-for-sale-11788689578266.html

https://gulfnews.com/world/mena/iran-leader-linked-ps36m-london-homes-put-up-for-sale-1.500665088

https://ua.news/en/world/u-londoni-prodaiut-kvartiri-poviazani-z-liderom-iranu-asharq-al-awsat

https://www.thetimes.com/world/middle-east/israel-iran/article/dirty-money-golden-postcodes-irans-200m-london-empire-znzknpzqf

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/london/article/north-london-ali-ansari-ayatollah-khamenei-66kh68s2j

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/article/sanctioned-iranian-banker-london-properties-93gl7dl5q

https://www.ft.com/content/c28d7274-6bba-49c7-bddb-4a4bb100ef97

https://www.timesofisrael.com/2-london-apartments-near-israeli-embassy-thought-to-be-owned-by-khamenei-go-up-for-sale/

https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/new-iranian-supreme-leader-linked-to-flats-near-israeli-embassy-and-mansions-in-hampstead/

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/ayatollah-owns-luxury-flats-next-195757024.html

https://www.occrp.org/en/news/uk-sanctions-iranian-tycoon-for-allegedly-financing-irans-revolutionary-guard

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/OE010111

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/OE010111/persons-with-significant-control

https://www.gherson.com/team/roger-gherson/

https://status.lu/article/us-sanctions-iranian-financier-ali-ansari-luxembourg

https://www.manx.news/island-linked-to-new-iranian-leader/

https://www.ynetnews.com/article/ry411r1e9wg

https://ir.voanews.com/a/mojtaba-khamenei-london-penthouses-is-for-sale/8194725.html

The Sunday Times original is cited throughout these secondary reports but sits behind a paywall; I have not independently verified every sentence against that original text.