Iran Loads First Nuclear Fuel Rod

Iran has started loading domestically made nuclear fuel at a major research reactor for the first time - a defiant move in response to toughening Western sanctions.

The loading ceremony, at the plant in Tehran, was attended by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and filmed on state TV.
Iran's deputy nuclear negotiator Ali Baqeri said the country had developed its own nuclear fuel because the West had refused to help them.

There were also reports, on state TV, that Iran was starting to use new advanced centrifuges at a uranium enrichment site in Natanz.
The centrifuges are made of carbon fibre, are domestically produced, and greatly speed up uranium enrichment activities, Iran said.

The news came as Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Iran of destabilising the world and called for its aggression to be halted.
Mr Netanyahu referred to a series of bomb attacks this week in India, Georgia and Thailand, which Israel has blamed on Iran.
Iran has denied the attacks, two of which targeted Israeli diplomats. Western officials believe the attacks were in revenge for the assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists.
"At this time, Iran's terrorist activities have been exposed to everyone," Mr Netanyahu said, accusing Iran of "harming innocent diplomats across the world".
Tensions over the Islamic republic were further heightened by news of the developments at the reactor in Tehran.

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