EU mulls Iran sanctions over foiled Danish, French plots

EU foreign ministers agree to consider economic sanctions on Iranian nationals over alleged assassination plots in Denmark, France, in new blow to Iran.

BRUSSELS - European Union foreign ministers agreed on Monday to consider economic sanctions on Iranian nationals over alleged assassination plots in Denmark and France, two diplomats said.

No decisions on names were discussed but there was general agreement among ministers at their meeting in Brussels to start technical work on a list of possible individuals.

Ministers also discussed setting up a special mechanism to trade with Iran that would be under EU, not national, law - a measure they believed could shield individual member states from possible US sanctions against the project.