Families of Iran's Elite Thrive Abroad as Ordinary Iranians Suffer

Critics say Iran's ruling clerics and IRGC leaders live lavish lives in the West while imposing hardship on their own people.

Mar. 21, 2026 at 2:19pm

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A new investigation reveals how the families of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and ruling clerics have established privileged lives in Western countries, even as they publicly denounce Western influence and impose strict Islamic values on Iranian society. The phenomenon, known as 'aghazadeh,' highlights the hypocrisy and corruption at the heart of Iran's regime.

Why it matters

This dual approach by Iran's leadership - publicly anti-Western while privately benefiting from Western luxuries - undermines the regime's credibility and exposes the vast gulf between its rhetoric and actions. It also raises concerns about how these elite families are using their overseas assets and connections to further the regime's interests globally.

The details

The report details a three-tiered system used by Iran's elite to establish a presence in the West. This includes students and academics with IRGC ties, business figures and investors with suspicious wealth, and regime insiders granted explicit permission to move large sums of money abroad. Examples cited include the daughter of a former Iranian president at a U.S. university, and the son of a hostage crisis spokesperson living in California.

  • In 2014 and 2016, properties linked to Mojtaba Khamenei, slated to be Iran's next supreme leader, were acquired in London's Kensington neighborhood.
  • In March 2026, a Times of London investigation uncovered Khamenei's alleged overseas real estate portfolio worth an estimated $138 million.

The players

Masoumeh Ebtekar

The English-speaking spokesperson for the extremists who held 52 Americans hostage during the 1979 U.S. embassy crisis, who later described the takeover as 'the best move' for the revolution.

Eissa Hashemi

The son of Masoumeh Ebtekar, who is living in the United States and pursuing graduate studies and an academic career in Los Angeles, in contrast to his mother's revolutionary ideology.

Mahmoud Reza Khavari

The former chairman of Bank Melli Iran who fled the country in 2011 after the bank was implicated in a $2.6 billion embezzlement scandal, and later settled in Canada where he and his family acquired millions of dollars in real estate.

Mojtaba Khamenei

Iran's slated new supreme leader, who has been linked to a network of overseas assets including high-value real estate in London's Kensington neighborhood.

Kasra Aarabi

Leads IRGC research at United Against Nuclear Iran and argues the West should treat Iran's oligarchs the same as Putin's.

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What they’re saying

“The Islamic regime in Iran is fundamentally corrupt. While regime clerics and IRGC leaders aggressively impose Islamic values on Iranian society and spread anti-American sentiment globally, their offspring enjoy opulent lifestyles in Western cities, funded by illicit gains.”

— Kasra Aarabi, Leads IRGC research at United Against Nuclear Iran

“They take the money from corruption inside the country and use it to live a better life elsewhere. It's not a few cases. It's how they operate.”

— Banafsheh Zand, Iranian journalist

“In order to move that level of money, you need permission, and in return, they help finance networks connected to the regime.”

— Mehdi Ghadimi, Exiled Iranian journalist

What’s next

Western governments are being urged to identify, sanction and deport the family members of Iran's elite who have established lavish lives abroad, in the same way they have targeted Russian oligarchs.

The takeaway

The 'aghazadeh' phenomenon, where the children of Iran's ruling class live privileged lives in the West while ordinary Iranians suffer under the regime's oppressive policies, highlights the systemic corruption and hypocrisy at the heart of Iran's government. This raises serious concerns about how these elite families are using their overseas assets and connections to further the regime's interests globally.