EU: Further sanctions against Syria 'an option'

The European Union’s foreign policy chief said today that more sanctions against Syria and Iran are being weighed.

Catherine Ashton said a top priority for the EU is to offer its full backing to the new United Nations-Arab League envoy to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, who is set to begin mediation efforts to end the violence between Syrian president Bashar Assad’s regime and opposition groups seeking to topple his rule.