IANS | 16 Feb, 2012
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Wednesday fed home-made nuclear fuel rods into the core of the Tehran research reactor as the country cut oil exports to six European nations, Press TV reported.

The countries include the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, France, Greece and Portugal.

The oil exports were cut in response to sanctions imposed by the European Union (EU) against Iran's energy and banking sectors.

Ahmadinejad also unveiled the country's latest nuclear achievements, the report said.

The presidential website said: "Some new and worthwhile achievements of the country's nuclear scientists in the field of atomic energy will be unveiled ... we will display the extraordinary capability of Iranian young scientists and their nuclear knowledge to the world."

Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi and head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran Fereydoun Abbasi were present at the ceremony.

Ali Bagheri, deputy chief of Iran's national security council, told RIA Novosti that Tehran produced the nuclear fuel rods domestically as "western countries were unwilling to help".

Western nations accuse Iran of secretly working to build nuclear weapons. Iran vehemently denies the charges, saying its nuclear programme is confined to production of peaceful atomic energy.