EU In-Principle Agreement on Syrian Oil Ban

The European Union reached an agreement in principle Monday to ban oil imports from Syria to punish the regime for its violent crackdown on protesters, diplomats said.

"There is a political consensus on a European embargo of imports of Syrian petroleum products," a diplomat told Agence France Presse on condition of anonymity.

The new sanctions were backed "without objections" by all representatives at a meeting of experts from the 27-nation bloc in Brussels, another diplomat said.

Individual EU governments are expected to give their final approval by the end of the week, the diplomat said.

The EU buys 95 percent of the oil Syria exports, representing between a quarter and one-third of government receipts, according to diplomats.

EU governments are still debating whether to add a ban on investments in the Syrian oil sector, diplomats said.

The EU has already imposed a set of assets freezes and travel bans against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his regime.

Iran's elite Al-Quds force, accused of providing support to Syria's repressive machine, five Syrian generals and the military intelligence network in Damascus were added to the blacklist last week.

The list covered by EU asset freezes and travel bans now runs to 50 people and nine entities.

The United States has also imposed a Syrian oil ban, but the move was mostly symbolic since Americans do not import oil from Syria.

Europeans are pushing the U.N. Security Council to sanction Syria, but a resolution to impose punitive measures was opposed last week by Russia, which hinted that it could use its veto power.

The European resolution, introduced by France, Britain, Germany and Portugal, with U.S. backing, calls for an assets freeze against Assad and his associates as well as an arms embargo.

Russia has circulated an alternative draft text urging Syria to expedite reforms and the opposition to engage in political dialogue.

A senior Russian envoy held talks with Assad in Damascus on Monday. According to the official Syrian news agency, deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov said there was no change in Russian policy on Syria.

Iran, meanwhile, denied on Monday that the Al-Quds wing of the elite Revolutionary Guards had any role in Syria's internal affairs.

"Linking the incidents in Syria to the Al-Quds forces of the Revolutionary Guards without any proof or evidence is baseless," said foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast.

The European Union accused the force of providing "technical assistance, equipment and support to the Syrian security services to repress civilian protest movements."

In an earlier round of sanctions in June, the EU imposed penalties on three Revolutionary Guard commanders, including its chief, Brigadier General Mohammad Ali Jafari, accusing them of aiding the crackdown in Syria.