WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States is closely watching political developments in Zimbabwe but still may impose fresh sanctions on Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe and his top aides, the White House said Tuesday.

"We're still looking into it, as we monitor the situation on the ground," US National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said after the European Union widened its sanctions against Zimbabwe.

Brussels took action despite a deal between Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai aimed at ending the political crisis.

EU foreign ministers, at a meeting in Brussels, added 37 more people to a list of individuals under a visa ban and whose assets have been frozen, as well as four "legal entities," or companies.

The list -- which had already included Mugabe, his wife and other senior officials -- now totals 168 people and four companies, and sees the EU for the first time target business people and companies in Zimbabwe.

The new names were not immediately released so as not to alert those concerned and allow them to transfer their assets to safety.

The move came despite the signing Monday of a deal between the veteran president and Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Tsvangirai on a framework for talks on a future government.

Mugabe was re-elected in a run-off last month after Tsvangirai pulled out, citing a campaign of intimidation and violence against his supporters that had killed dozens and injured thousands.

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