French President Nicolas Sarkozy officially announced Wednesday that he was running for re-election, with fewer than 10 weeks to polling day and the center-right leader trailing in opinion polls.

"Yes, I am a candidate in the presidential election," Sarkozy said in an interview on France's TF1 television.

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe warned Wednesday that Russia was isolating itself after its veto of a U.N. resolution on Syria and would try to convince his Russian counterpart to change tack.

Juppe said it would take "all my powers of persuasion" when he meets Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Vienna on Thursday.

Iran said on Wednesday it was considering cutting oil sales to six EU countries but would not do so "at the moment," while unperturbed European officials said they were looking for other suppliers anyway.

State broadcaster IRIB reported on its website that the ambassadors of France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain were called to the foreign ministry in Tehran and warned that "Iran will revise its oil sale to these countries."

The United Nations should consider setting up "humanitarian corridors" to get aid to Syrians caught in the brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protests, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said Wednesday.

"The idea of humanitarian corridors to allow NGOs (non-governmental organizations) to reach zones where there are absolutely scandalous massacres should be discussed at the Security Council," he told France Info radio.

France is reviewing a range of options proposed by the 22-member Arab League at the United Nations to deal with Syria's deadly clampdown on protesters, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.

"France is examining with its partners in New York all the options put on the table by the Arab League," foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy will announce his bid for re-election Wednesday, setting the stage for what he hopes will be a dramatic comeback against his Socialist rival, sources in his office said.

With only 10 weeks before the first round of the presidential vote on April 22, right-wing Sarkozy is lagging in the polls, struggling with image problems and burdened with a moribund economy.

Britain on Monday said Western nations were unlikely to join a U.N.-Arab peacekeeping force proposed by the Arab League to end the violence in Syria, as Germany welcomed the Arab League's "important" role and Italy backed the Arab suggestion.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague called for urgent talks on the League’s, but said Western nations were unlikely to join the force.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati ruled out on Monday the return of political assassinations in Lebanon, saying that any leads in this matter are being tackled by the concerned security authorities.

He told LBC television that will be broadcast later on Monday: “Special Tribunal for Lebanon Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare informed me that he will release an updated version of the indictment in the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri.”

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe has reportedly asked Premier Najib Miqati that Lebanon not reject a proposal made by his country to form a "Friends of Syria" group.

During a meeting they held in Paris on Friday, Juppe said Lebanon shouldn’t reject the idea during the meeting of Arab League foreign ministers that will be held in Cairo on Sunday, French official sources told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati visited on Saturday ex-PM Saad Hariri to inquire about his health after undergoing surgery recently.

Miqati who headed on Thursday to France on a two-day official visit to meet with top French officials, met with Hariri following treatment from a skiing accident he had in the French Alps in January.