The American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said the Iranian nuclear scientist Shahram Amari, who turned up at the Iranian Interests Section of the Pakistani embassy in Washington, is and always has been free to go home.

"Mr Amiri has been in the United States of his own free will, and he is free to go. In fact, he was scheduled to travel to Iran yesterday, but was unable to make all of the necessary arrangements to reach Iran through transit countries."