Iran has started to load fuel into the core of its first nuclear power plant, one of the last steps to realising its stated goal of becoming a peaceful nuclear power.
A government spokesman said the fuelling showed Iran's nuclear programme was on track despite international sanctions.
Those sanctions are aimed at forcing Iran to curb uranium enrichment activities, which many countries fear are aimed at developing atomic weapons.
‘Iran has started injecting fuel into the core of the Bushehr nuclear power plant in the southern port city of Bushehr,’ the English-language Press TV said on its website.
Amid great media fanfare, fuel rods were transported into the reactor building in August, but they were not inserted into its core and the plant's start-up was delayed due to what were described as minor technical problems.
Iran expects the Russian-built 1,000-MW plant finally to begin generating energy by early next year.
Officials have denied speculation that the global spread of the 'Stuxnet' computer virus caused the delay, although it did infect some computers at Bushehr.
'Iran's peaceful nuclear activities are going on as scheduled,' Foreign Minister spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told reporters at his weekly news conference.
Oliver Thraenert at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs said Iran's progress with Bushehr was meant to 'show their own population that they are able to resist international sanctions and in that regard it is important'.
US and Europe have been prodding Tehran to return to talks on its disputed nuclear ambitions. The talks have been stalled for a year.
Scepticism about Iran's real aims led to a new round of sanctions from the UN Security Council in June and tighter measures from Washington and the EU.
Iran insists it needs to enrich uranium - material which can also be used to make weapons if refined to a high degree - to fuel future power stations and a medical research reactor.
‘Political pressures like sanctions ... will not impede our progress and will not keep our nation from exercising its inalienable right to the peaceful use of nuclear technology,’ Mr Mehmanparast said.
