WASHINGTON: The Iranian nuclear scientist who said he was abducted by US agents was paid more than $5 million by the CIA for information about Iran’s nuclear program, The Washington Post reported on Thursday, citing US officials.
Shahram Amiri, who arrived back in Iran early on Thursday, is not obligated to return the money but might not be able to access it after ending “significant cooperation” with the CIA and returning home, the newspaper reported.
“Anything he got is now beyond his reach, thanks to the financial sanctions on Iran,” a US official said. “He’s gone, but his money’s not. We have his information, and the Iranians have him”.
Amiri’s request this week to be sent home stunned US officials who said he had been working with the US intelligence agency for more than a year, the Post reported.
Amiri surfaced at the Iranian interests section of the Pakistani Embassy in Washington on Monday after disappearing more than a year ago.
