EU piles pressure on Iranian firms

LONDON - EU foreign ministers piled pressure on Iran over its contested nuclear program on Thursday, slapping sanctions on an extra 180 firms and individuals and threatening to hit out at its vital oil sector.

Expressing "deepening concerns" on the nature of the nuclear program, the 27 European Union foreign ministers urged the bloc to "extend the scope" of current sanctions in order to strike at Teheran's financial heart.

A statement said the ministers agreed to examine measures in particular affecting the financial system in the transport and energy sector.