The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating whether senior American financial institutions, including banking giants JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup, helped process large money transfers for a network of companies controlled by Iran’s leader Mojtaba Khamenei, Bloomberg reported Thursday. The probe is part of a broader investigation into suspected global-scale money laundering and corruption.
1+According to the report, investigators are examining the role of U.S. banks serving as intermediary banks, and the possibility that gaps in due diligence checks allowed funds linked to Khamenei’s network to pass through the American banking system.
Global Empire Under Scrutiny
Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen publicly since taking office. According to previous reports, Khamenei built a global business empire that includes shipping operations in the Persian Gulf, Swiss bank accounts, and luxury real estate in Britain.
1+Before rising to power, Khamenei reportedly relied on financier Ali Ansari, who served as a conduit for transferring capital abroad—allegations Ansari vehemently denies. The current investigation focuses not only on American banks but also on financial institutions in Europe and the Middle East, and is examining real estate payments transferred to global networks, including the Hilton hotel chain.