Baghdad has already announced it will not comply. The council's resolution did not set a timetable for lifting sanctions - a condition Iraq has demanded for any reversal of its decision to cut all dealings with the inspectors.

Nuclear monitors' activities have been curtailed

The council condemned Iraq's decision to halt co-operation as a "flagrant violation" of UN resolutions.

The inspectors are trying to establish whether Baghdad has a stockpile of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.

The council is united in its call for an immediate U-turn from Iraq, but it remains divided on what to do if Baghdad refuses. It made no explicit threats to use force if Baghdad did not comply.

The United States and Britain say they are already authorised to take military action from previous resolutions, but that has been rejected by other council members.

Opposition to force

Acting US ambassador Peter Burleigh said President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright had emphasised that ''all options are on the table and the US has the authority to act".

Iraqi President Saddam Hussein: Lifting sanctions a priority

He said: "Iraq should recognise the gravity of the situation it has created. Iraq must turn back from the dangerous and self-defeating course it has chosen.''

But Russian ambassador Sergey Lavrov warned that any attempt to use force would have "highly unpredictable and dangerous consequences" for regional peace and future UN efforts to monitor Iraq's weapons programmes.

He said the way to overcome the new crisis was through political and diplomatic channels, with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan playing an active role.

China's ambassador Huasun Qin also opposed the use of force.

Iraq fury

In the resolution council members reaffirmed their readiness to hold "a comprehensive review" of Iraq's compliance with UN resolutions.

Iraq demands sacking of UN inspections chief Richard Butler

This could lead to the lifting of the oil embargo if UN inspectors declare Iraq is disarmed.

But the offer is conditional on Iraq resuming co-operation with weapons inspectors.

The council agreed to conduct a "comprehensive review" in September, in an attempt to get Baghdad to allow the UN to resume spot inspections, which it banned in August.

But Iraq reacted angrily when the council did not explicitly mention the possibility of easing sanctions in a letter outlining a review to Mr Annan last Friday.

On Saturday Iraq banned inspectors from monitoring all facilities.

Iraq rejects resolution

Iraq said it would reject any Security Council resolution unless it called for the end of the eight years of sanctions imposed after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990.

"Iraq's response is that it will not deal positively with the members of the [Security] Council unless there is a clear stand that the sanctions on Iraq will be lifted," Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan said.