The US State Department is reported to have begun drafting the text of a possible second United Nations resolution that would authorise military action against Iraq.
According to CNN, the resolution would only be introduced if the United States has the support of at least nine of 15 Security Council members for a war. Under UN rules, there must be nine votes in favor of a resolution for it to pass.
However France, a permanent member of the security council has stated its opposition to any military action against Iraq and, under UN rules, there cannot be any vetoes from any of the five permanent Security Council members if a resolution is to be passed.
As the United States said it would publish evidence that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction, the White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card refused to rule out US use of nuclear weapons.
The Los Angeles Timesreported on Saturday that "multiple sources close to the process" said the United States is preparing for the possible use of nuclear weapons against Iraq "in the new US doctrine of 'pre-emption.'"
Mr Card said: "I'm not going to put anything on the table or off the table, but we have a responsibility to make sure Saddam Hussein or his generals do not use weapons of mass destruction".
Diplomatic efforts to avoid war continued over the weekend with several Middle Eastern countries attempting to defuse the situation. However, King Abdullah of Jordan told the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, it "would take a miracle to find a dialogue and a peaceful solution out of the crisis".