WASHINGTON, Feb 25: The Bush administration said on Monday it expects the UN Security Council to vote on the second draft resolution on Iraq soon after chief weapons inspector Hans Blix submits his Iraqi disarmament report on March 7.

Talking to reporters at the White House, hours after the United States, Britain and Spain proposed a new resolution on Iraq, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice said her government expects the world body to take a final decision on the issue when the resolution comes up for hearing.

Mr Blix is scheduled to report to the council on March 7 and the US is urging the council to put the new resolution for voting the same day.

“This is really now an up or down vote on whether or not the Security Council is going to enforce resolution 1441,” said Ms Rice.

The new resolution, she said, is “an affirmation of the council’s willingness to uphold 1441.”