Ministers meeting in Brussels also agreed to work on other measures that could target Iran's energy sector. EU ministers said that they would broaden existing sanctions by examining, in close co-ordination with international partners, additional measures including measures aimed at severely affecting the Iranian financial system, in the transport sector, in the energy sector."

The sanctions follow a UN report linking Iran to the development of a nuclear weapon. Iran denies the claims. 

The EU measures also come two days after hundreds of Iranian protesters stormed the UK embassy in Tehran. 
Britain announced on November 30 it was expelling all Iranian diplomats from London, after pulling its own out of Tehran.

A spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said that the new sanctions would target 39 people and 141 companies and would include the freezing of assets and travel bans.

Ministers said a decision on future measures would be taken no later than January.