Iran says fuel deal still alive

TEHERAN - Iran said on Tuesday that its decision to freeze talks with world powers for two months relates only to its overall atomic program and does not include discussions on a nuclear fuel deal.

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told reporters the issue of Iran's controversial uranium enrichment program is separate from that of a proposed swap deal that would ensure a fuel supply for the Teheran research reactor.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday ruled out talks with the so-called P5+1 world powers - Britain, France, Russia, China, the United States and Germany - on Teheran's uranium enrichment program until late August.