European Union foreign ministers Monday slapped fresh sanctions on Syria in a bid to dissuade its regime from carrying out further bloody crackdowns on the opposition, dpa reported.
But the bloc's top diplomats, meeting in Brussels, gave themselves more time to agree on similar steps in reaction to Iran's controversial nuclear programme.
"The European Union continues to be deeply concerned by the deteriorating situation in Syria where according to the United Nations more than 3,500 people have been killed since March," ministers said in a statement.
In response, 18 officials linked to the repression ordered by the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad were added to an existing sanctions blacklist, and existing loans and technical assistance to Syria from the European Investment Bank were frozen.
Monday's decision, due to enter into force Tuesday, raises to 74 the number of Syrian officials hit by EU travel bans and asset freezes.
A freeze on EU-held assets is equally in place for 19 Syrian entities. Tuesday also marks the day when a previously agreed ban on foreign oil investment becomes effective.
"We hear already from Syria that actually the Syrians are running out of cash, and that is what we need," Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal said.
Germany also decided to recall its ambassador to Syria, Andreas Reinicke, for consultation in Berlin. "I am purposefully not saying when he might return to Damascus," Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle told reporters.
On Iran, the EU expressed "increasing concerns" after last week's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report, which provided further evidence that the country's nuclear programme was being developed for military, rather than civilian purposes.
However, the bloc did not come to an immediate decision on burdening Tehran's regime with more sanctions.
Ministers "will continue to examine possible new and reinforced measures and revert to this issue at (their) next meeting (scheduled for December 1), taking into account Iran's actions," a statement said.
EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton said she had written to Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Saeid Jalili, asking him to respond to IAEA criticisms and return to negotiations on the nuclear issue.
"I was told there would be a swift response," she said.
Earlier, Rosenthal said sanctions would be applied "for sure," and went as far as refusing to rule out a military strike against Iran - something that Israel is reportedly considering.
France's Alain Juppe also sounded tough ahead of the meeting. "Today we need to adopt a very firm position, we need to strengthen sanctions to avoid any irreparable moves," he told reporters.
But he faced opposition from more doveish ministers.
"The worst solution is threatening (Iran) with war," said Finland's Erkki Tuomioja. "We should engage with Iran and if Iran does not come clear on the IAEA report then we will have to tighten sanctions."
Ministers were more united in ruling out an intervention in Syria, even after the Arab League's call to the international community to help defend civilians there. A similar request led to NATO air raids which eventually toppled former Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi.
"These are two completely different countries and two completely different cases," Westerwelle insisted.
Indicating that the scope for EU action on the ground was limited, Ashton pledged cooperation with the Arab League "to find ways of supporting, for example, NGOs on the ground which are doing such a great job."
Foreign ministers also extended to 2014 an EU police training mission in Afghanistan and discussed Serbia's prospects for EU membership amid continued tensions in northern Kosovo.
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