President Bush is considering an address to the US nation next week giving Saddam Hussein a short-term ultimatum to disarm or face war, according to White House officials.
The US meanwhile sought to regain the initiative in the bitter international split over Iraq, shortly after the foreign ministers of France, Germany and Russia hardened their opposition yesterday to a new US-backed UN resolution that would authorise military action.
US Secretary of State Mr Colin Powell cited new UN intelligence that Iraq was continuing to hide weapons of mass destruction, and said he would argue to the Security Council tomorrow that Saddam Hussein had failed to make a strategic decision to disarm.
The White House also said it was not backing down on its drive to get a majority for the new resolution declaring that the Iraqi President has missed a last chance to disarm.
Chief UN weapons inspector Dr Hans Blix told journalists in New York, however, that Iraq's destruction of 19 al-Samoud rockets that exceed UN limits was "real disarmament".
In a day of quickening international diplomacy, the three European foreign ministers held an emergency meeting in Paris to present a united front against the US and Britain.
"We will not allow a resolution to pass that authorises resorting to force," French Foreign Minister Mr Dominique de Villepin told a press conference.
Foreign ministers will attend tomorrow's crucial meeting of the 15-member Security Council in New York at which Dr Blix and his colleague, Dr Mohamed elBaradei, will give a quarterly report on inspections, and will list several instances of increased Iraqi co-operation.
As evidence of Mr Powell's determination to get a majority for the resolution - which currently has only four committed supporters - he has cancelled his schedule to spend today in New York lobbying UN diplomats.
White House spokesman Mr Ari Fleischer cautioned reporters about jumping to conclusions over the outcome. "You will continue to hear various statements by various people around the world," he said, but President Bush was "confident in the end of the ultimate outcome".
The US hopes to bring the resolution to a vote next week. It needs nine votes to pass and no vetoes. France, Russia, Germany, China and Syria say they will definitely not support it. France, Russia and China hold veto power. Six nations, Mexico, Chile, Pakistan, Cameroon, Guinea and Angola, are still uncommitted.
Two senior White House officials said that one option under serious consideration was that Mr Bush would give Saddam a final ultimatum, perhaps with a short-term deadline, in an address next week. If the council did not back the US, then he would consider leading a "coalition of the willing" against Iraq.