British Prime Minister Tony Blair today would not rule out a military strike on Iraq even if the UN refuses to back it.
The British prime minister also warned Iraqi President Saddam Hussein that he has a clear choice - either to disarm or face further action against him or his government.
Mr Blair said the UN should be the route via which the international community should tackle Saddam and force him to dismantle the weapons of mass destruction it suspects he has.
But he said the UN must deal with Saddam, not avoid dealing with him, and he refused to rule out joining a US-led attack on Iraq if diplomatic efforts failed, even if the UN did not sanction military action.
"We must make it absolutely clear that Saddam and the Iraqi regime have one choice. They either agree to disarm themselves of these weapons they should never have had in the first place or alternatively action will follow," Mr Blair told BBC television.
In an interview to mark the start of his Labour Party's annual conference in the northern English seaside town of Blackpool, Mr Blair said the UN route was the right one to take - for now.
"We are going down the UN route but the UN route has to be the way of dealing with it, not avoiding it," he said.
Asked whether he would rule out Britain joining the US in a military strike against Saddam without the backing of the United Nations, the British prime minister refused to answer directly.
"Let us just wait and see where we get to," he said. "But remember this...The most important thing if we want to avoid a conflict is to maintain the maximum pressure on Saddam and the Iraqi regime."