US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will go to the United Nations tomorrow to discuss the Middle East turmoil with Secretary-General Kofi Annan, officials said, but uncertainty persisted over the timing of any trip by her to the Middle East.
Mr Annan, backed by the European Union, has urged that an international force be sent to Lebanon to help defuse the worst violence between Israel and the Lebanese group Hizbullah in years, but the United States has resisted.
UN sources confirmed Ms Rice would meet Mr Annan tomorrow, but in Washington, US state department officials said no final decision has been made on the timing or itinerary of any foreign travel she might make. An aide to Ms Rice said she would not be making any international travel on Friday.
Ms Rice said yesterday she would travel to the Middle East if it would be helpful, but gave no time frame.
A three-man mission Mr Annan sent to the Middle East will return to New York on today, and he expects to brief the UN Security Council on their findings tomorrow.
It is not clear how any Middle East visit would affect a planned trip to Asia by Ms Rice next week, which was announced earlier this month.