A top Iranian nuclear physicist has defected to the United States and has been relocated by the CIA to begin a new life in the land of the free.

The officials were said to have termed the defection of the scientist, Shahram Amiri, “an intelligence coup” in the continuing CIA operation to spy on and undermine Iran’s nuclear program.

A spokesperson for the CIA declined to comment. In its declassified annual report to Congress, the CIA said, “Iran is keeping open the option to develop nuclear weapons though we do not know whether Tehran eventually will decide to produce nuclear weapons.”

Shahram Amiri, reportedly in his 30s, disappeared during a trip to Saudi Arabia last June. Iran blamed the United States for “kidnapping” Amiri but it’s now clear that the nuclear physicist willingly defected.

According to the people briefed on the intelligence operation, Amiri’s disappearance was part of a long-planned CIA operation to get him to defect. The CIA reportedly approached the scientist in Iran through an intermediary who made an offer of resettlement on behalf of the United States.

ABC News reports that Amiri has been thoroughly debriefed by CIA employees since his defection, resulting in the confirmation of assessments made by the intelligence agency regarding Iran’s nuke program.

You’ll recall that last September the United States revealed that Iran maintained a secret nuclear facility near the city of Qom. Well…

One Iranian web site reported that Amiri had worked at the Qum facility prior to his defection.

The New York Times reported Saturday that international inspectors and Western intelligence agencies suspect “Tehran is preparing to build more sites in defiance of United Nations demands.”

Officials at Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not immediately return calls seeking comment.

Now a colleague of Amiri at Tehran University is blasting the Saudi regime for allegedly helping in the defection. Expect the Iranian propaganda machine to spin into overdrive after today’s revelation.