US officials today received a boost to their campaign to have a tough United Nations resolution on Iraq, when the UN chief weapons inspector said he supported international efforts to agree a wording.
While Baghdad sent top officials to Muslim nations to seek a show of regional solidarity in the event of attacks Iraq, the US worked with France and other key Security Council members to win support for its belief that a threat of force should be included in the proposed resolution.
European diplomats said they believed some US officials had softened their opposition to a two-stage process proposed by France that would first address demands and then authorise force.
Similar discussions are ongoing with Moscow, which also opposes a resolution that would essentially give the United States the right to decide when and if to attack Iraq.
Last night, the United States and a senior UN official agreed that UN arms inspectors would benefit from new instructions on Iraq and said they saw signs the Security Council would come round to their view.
The chief UN inspector, Mr Hans Blix, made it clear his team would not go to Iraq until the council gave clearance.
Mr Blix said: "We look forward to speedy resolution and for us to come in shortly afterward ... The resolution that is now being discussed is one that I think we would welcome."
The White House said President George W Bush would make a speech on Monday night that appears to be aimed at the United Nations and the Democrat-led US Senate. The speech is also likely to be an attempt to prepare the US public for the possibility of war.
But Baghdad, eager to drive a wedge between the United States and other members of the UN Security Council with veto power, called on Russia, China and France to be "brave" and resist US demands for an uncompromising UN resolution.
Iraq also sent Foreign Minister Mr Naji Sabri to Bahrain, where he called on Friday for a show of solidarity against a possible US attack he said would pose a "serious threat" to the oil-rich region. Mr Sabri has already been to Iran. His next stop is Oman.