June 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Justice is

investigating how Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei built a

global investment portfolio with exposure to Wall Street banks,

Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, citing officials familiar

with the matter.

The probe is part of a broader examination into allegations

of money laundering and corruption, and includes scrutiny of

transactions involving firms overseen by Khamenei, according to

the report.

Investigators are reviewing the role of U.S. banks in those

transactions, Bloomberg News reported, citing people familiar

with the matter. The report said that the banks under review

include JPMorgan Chase ( JPM ) and Citigroup ( C ).

JPMorgan ( JPM ), Citigroup ( C ) and the DOJ did not immediately respond

to Reuters' requests for comment.

The investigation does not necessarily mean charges will be

filed, the Bloomberg News report said, adding that the primary

focus of the probe was Khamenei.

Khamenei was chosen as Iran's supreme leader after his

father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a U.S.-Israeli

airstrike. The supreme leader has the final say on matters of

state, including foreign policy and Iran's nuclear program.