An explosion struck an oil pipeline in the Syrian protest city of Homs on Wednesday, with activists saying government forces bombed it from the air and the regime blaming "terrorists."

"Around 6:00 am (0400 GMT), two military planes bombed a pipeline located on the edge of Baba Amr neighborhood," Hadi Abdullah, of the opposition General Commission of the Syrian Revolution, told Agence France Presse, citing witnesses.

The international community must rule out military intervention as a solution to the Syrian crisis, the leader of a global Islamic group said Wednesday.

Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary general of the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation, said he remained involved in "quiet diplomacy activities" with Syrian President Bashar Assad over the power struggle that has cost around 6,000 lives over the last 11 months. The violence has led to the country's most severe international isolation in more than four decades of Assad family rule.

The Syrian National Council, the main opposition group against President Bashar al-Assad's regime, said it will meet Wednesday in Doha to choose a new leader or extend the term of current head Burhan Ghalioun.

"We are meeting tomorrow in Doha to choose a president. There will be several candidates and we want to take an independent decision, without external interference," SNC spokeswoman Basma Kodmani told Agence France Presse by telephone from Doha.

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.

Iranian police and security forces deployed in several areas of Tehran on Tuesday, residents said, to head off any demonstration marking the anniversary of an opposition protest that resulted in two deaths and many arrests.

The forces transported by car, bus and motorbike, many in riot gear, took up positions on key squares and streets in the city, the residents said on condition of anonymity.

Egypt has quashed death sentences against three men convicted of involvement in attacks in the Sinai Peninsula after their trials were deemed unfair, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights said on Tuesday.

The three men -- Mohammed Gayez Sabbah, Usama al-Nakhlawi and Younis Abu-Gareer -- had been sentenced to death in connection with 2004 bombings in the Red Sea resorts of Taba and Nuweiba and 2005 bombings in Sharm el-Sheikh.

Israel blamed Iran on Tuesday for a series of blasts in Bangkok, a day after its embassy staff were targeted in India and Georgia, with press commentators fearful they heralded further attacks.

Following Monday's attacks on embassy cars in New Delhi and Tbilisi, which left an Israeli woman diplomat critically injured in the Indian capital, Israel's main newspapers warned it could mark the start of a series of deadly attacks on Israeli targets.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday the EU backs the Arab League's "firm stance" on Syria and will support it through further sanctions, ahead of talks with the head of the pan-Arab body.

The EU supports the Arab League's action to try to end the bloodshed in Syria and will "also support (it) through further sanctions", Merkel told reporters, speaking alongside Arab League Secretary General Nabil al-Arabi.

Syria on Tuesday flatly rejected U.N. charges of crimes against humanity and accused the world body of ignoring crimes it said were being committed by foreign-backed "terrorist groups".

"The foreign ministry, in a message sent to the U.N. Human Rights Commission, categorically rejected the new allegations made by the commission," the state news agency SANA said.

Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah named a new cabinet on Tuesday with 10 new faces, including the oil and defense ministers, and no women, despite objections from the opposition.

Hani Hussein, a former chief executive officer of the national oil conglomerate Kuwait Petroleum Corp, was appointed oil minister, replacing Mohammed al-Baseeri.