United Nations ? The United States and France were locked in a last-minute race Sunday for Security Council votes that could make or break international support for war in Iraq.

As Washington worked the phones, the French foreign minister headed to Africa to try to persuade undecided council members to reject a U.S.-backed resolution that gives Saddam Hussein a March 17 ultimatum to disarm or face war.

U.S. diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the United States would announce today that it will seek a council vote for Tuesday or Wednesday, noting they may need a little more time.

U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte told the council to be ready to cast their votes by Tuesday — giving Washington less than 48 hours Sunday to round up enough support.

President Bush has said the United States is prepared to forcefully disarm Iraq without Security Council approval. But U.N. support would give the war international legitimacy and guarantee that members of the organization share in the costs of rebuilding Iraq.

Much could change before the council meets this afternoon.

Key swing voters, such as Mexico and Pakistan, which want to come on board with the United States, are asking for a few extra days to negotiate a deadline beyond the March 17 date proposed by Washington.

But the United States clearly was ready to move forward.

“We’re delayed out and we’re definitely moving forward with a vote this week,” said Richard Grenell, spokesman for the U.S. mission at the United Nations.

The U.S. resolution, backed by Britain and Spain, needs nine votes to pass. But even if Washington can muster the support it must prevent France, Russia or China from vetoing the measure. While Paris has implicitly threatened a veto, Moscow and Beijing have been more cautious.

Secretary of State Colin Powell said Sunday there was a strong chance the United States could get nine or even 10 votes, adding that most of the undecideds were making up their minds over the weekend.

He spoke amid indications that Cameroon, a former French colony, was throwing its support behind the resolution. U.S. diplomats said they were now concentrating on council members Angola, Guinea and Chile. The foreign minister of Guinea will visit administration officials this week in Washington.

Appearing on Fox News Sunday, Powell said it would be “unfortunate if France decided to veto,” although he would not be surprised.

“Even though France has been a friend of ours for many years, will be a friend in the future, I think it will have a serious effect on bilateral relations, at least in the short term,” he said.

But the French — who are leading the antiwar camp in a very divided Security Council — mounted a last-ditch diplomatic bid Sunday to defeat the resolution.

If it passes, war would be automatic anytime after March 17 unless Saddam came up with a move dramatic enough to convince a majority of the council that Iraq has fully disarmed — a scenario deemed highly unlikely by most diplomats.

Still, French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin headed Sunday to the capitals of the three African council members — Angola, Cameroon and Guinea.

“France will not allow a resolution to pass that authorizes the automatic use of force,” de Villepin said before leaving Paris.

Earlier Sunday, France won key support from Germany for a proposed Security Council summit on Iraq — although the idea was rejected by the United States.

France, Germany, Russia and China have all said that weapons inspections are working and have pointed to generally upbeat assessments from the inspectors.

But the United States, along with its closest ally, Britain, has declared the inspections a failure because of Iraq’s lack of cooperation and compliance with more than a decade of Security Council resolutions demanding its disarmament.

On Sunday, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who faces strong domestic opposition to war without U.N. approval, spoke by phone with Chinese President Jiang Zemin, who said that military force would not solve the world’s problems and every effort must be made to avoid war, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

But Beijing, whose trade relationship with Washington is crucial to its economy, has refused to say specifically it would veto the U.S.-British deadline proposal.

Russia, which has backed France, appeared less certain Sunday, with officials stressing Moscow’s desire for continued good relations with Washington. Deputy Foreign Minister Yuri Fedotov said unilateral military action against Iraq would harm the international community, but he also hinted at a possible compromise.

“We are striving to find a common language with the United States, England and other countries,” Fedotov told Russia’s NTV network. “We have never tried to inflame the conflict.”

Bush has spoken in recent days with Russian President Vladimir Putin and was expected to make additional calls to foreign leaders Monday seeking their support. Putin also spoke with French leader Jacques Chirac Sunday.

In the meantime, a third track of diplomacy backed by Saudi Arabia and Pakistan — aimed at forcing a revolt in Iraq or coaxing Saddam into exile — was quietly picking up steam through Muslim channels.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud said in remarks published Sunday that the quickest way to resolve the Iraq crisis was for Saddam to step down.

And an Arab delegation planned to travel to Baghdad in the coming days to try to avert a U.S.-led war against Iraq, Egypt’s foreign minister announced.