EU foreign ministers fail to agree on Iranian oil embargo

EU foreign ministers failed on Thursday to reach an agreement to impose an oil embargo against Iran, a measure that some argued would have choked off funding for Iran's alleged program to develop nuclear weapons, Associated Press reports.

But the ministers, incensed by the attack on Tuesday by an angry mob on the British embassy in Tehran, did impose a new round of sanctions targeting dozens of people, groups and businesses in the country.

The ministers also imposed new sanctions on Syrian individuals and businesses in hopes of pressuring the regime there to halt its deadly crackdown on anti-government protests.

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said that Greece, which relies on Iranian oil, had objected to a ban on buying it. But he said work toward an embargo would continue.

"Greece has put forward a number of reservations," Juppe said. "We have to take that into account. We have to see with our partners that the cuts can be compensated by the increase of production in other countries. It is very possible."