The Iranian government confirmed on August 7 that it had executed Shahram Amiri, an Iranian nuclear scientist who spent about 14 months in the United States in 2009 and 2010.  The Iranian judiciary stated that Amiri had been hanged for disclosing state secrets.  After disappearing from Saudi Arabia sometime in 2009, Amiri reportedly defected to the United States and shared intelligence with US authorities on Iran's nuclear program.  In July 2010, Amiri returned to Tehran, where he was reportedly imprisoned and tortured.