Iran tests first domestically made nuclear fuel rod

TEHRAN–Iran said on Sunday that its scientists have “tested the first nuclear fuel rod produced from uranium ore deposits inside the country.”

“After going through physical checks, it was inserted into the core of the Tehran research reactor in order to study how well it works,” the website of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization said.

Iran said last month that it planned to insert domestically produced uranium fuel into the Tehran research reactor, which produces isotopes for medical purposes and currently runs on a nearly depleted stock of nuclear plates bought from Argentina in 1993.