The U.N. Security Council on Friday condemned suicide attacks in the Syrian capital but remained deadlocked on a full resolution on the crisis with the Russian and U.S. ambassadors trading personal barbs.

Russian envoy Vitaly Churkin hit out at what he called the "Stanford dictionary of expletives" used against him by U.S. ambassador Susan Rice.

Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird announced Friday the freezing of assets of more Syrians loyal to President Bashar al-Assad's regime, as well as a beefed-up trade ban.

"Canada will continue to put the squeeze on the Assad regime," Baird said. "We will not sit idly by, not while Assad and his thugs continue to violate the rights of the Syrian people."

Iran on Saturday began 10 days of wargames around the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route in the Gulf through which more than a third of the world's ship-borne oil passes.

The Velayat-90 military exercises, announced Thursday by navy chief Admiral Habibollah Sayari, kicked off as planned, Iran's Arabic-language broadcaster al-Alam reported.

The Israeli army shot a Palestinian demonstrator in the leg during clashes in the West Bank on Friday, lightly wounding him, an Agence France Presse correspondent and the Israeli military said.

"During a violent and illegal riot which took place today in Nabi Saleh, .22 caliber rounds were used in order to disperse it, while targeting one exceptionally violent rioter," a military spokesman told AFP.

U.N. leader Ban Ki-moon is "gravely concerned" at escalating violence in Syria but the onus is on President Bashar al-Assad to fully carry out an Arab League peace plan, a spokesman said Friday.

Ban spoke out as the U.N. Security Council stepped up wrangling over a resolution on the Syria crisis. While the United Nations says more than 5,000 people have been killed in the government crackdown, the Security Council has failed to agree any formal resolution on Syria.

Britain said on Friday suicide bombings in Syria that killed at least 40 people must not undermine an Arab League plan aimed at ending the bloodshed.

"I condemn the bomb attacks in central Damascus today and regret the loss of life and injury I have heard reported," said Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt in a statement.

Thousands gathered peacefully in Cairo's Tahrir Square Friday to denounce the ruling military after soldiers were filmed beating female protesters during deadly clashes that sparked international outrage.

Supporters of the military, which took power after an uprising ousted veteran president Hosni Mubarak in February, held a counter-rally in the Abbasiya neighborhood, several kilometers away.

Bahraini riot police on Friday fired tear gas and rubber bullets at demonstrators gathered in the headquarters of the main Shiite opposition group, Al-Wefaq, the group said, adding that some were wounded.

"Security forces fired directly at the premises of the group ... where several leaders and members had gathered," said Al-Wefaq, which has its main office in the outskirts of Manama.

The suicide bombings which struck Damascus Friday killing 40 people must not hamper the Arab League monitoring mission in Syria, a U.S. official said Friday, condemning the attacks.

"It is crucial that today's attack not impede the critical work of the Arab League monitoring mission to document and deter human rights abuses with the goal of protecting civilians," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said.

Loyalists of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh on Friday attacked demonstrators gathered south of the capital calling for the leader's trial, a protest organizer told Agence France Presse.

Further south, in Abyan province, seven soldiers were killed late Thursday near Zinjibar in an ambush by al-Qaida suspects, a military source said, adding three militants were also killed in subsequent fighting.