The US Secretary of State Colin Powell wants a revised draft resolution giving Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein until March 17th to disarm or face war to come to a Security Council vote next week.
The United States and Britain intend to announce on Monday that they want a vote in the 15-member council on Tuesday, diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"I think the amendment to the resolution put down by (British) Foreign Secretary (Jack) Straw is of course one we support and worked on," Mr Powell told reporters after hearing the latest progress report on Iraqi disarmament by UN chief weapons inspectors Dr Hans Blix and Dr Mohamed ElBaradei.
"And I believe in the very near future, some time next week, that resolution ought to be brought to the council for a vote," Powell said. "And let's see where everyone is, and I don't believe this just can continue on and on and on."
The amendment proposed that unless the Security Council decided by March 17th that Iraq had taken its "final opportunity" to disarm, then serious consequences would follow.