 According to "The Sunday Telegraph", both Asgari and Amiri were part of a CIA defection program against Iran called "the Brain Drain", which began in 2005.On 30 March 2010, ABC News reported that Amiri was initially approached via an intermediary, agreeing to defect in a "long-planned CIA operation" and was then living in the United States.On 13 July 2010, Amiri went to the Embassy of Pakistan (where Iran has an Interests Section) in Washington, D.C. and asked to return to Iran.