WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 (Xinhuanet)-- The United States said on Monday that it will stick to diplomacy to solve Iran's nuclear disputes although "given Iran's past behavior that it should be referred to the United Nations Security Council."

    "We will reserve the right to seek that action at the time of our choosing. We believe that at this point in time we do have the votes for referral to the Security Council," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said at a news briefing.

    However, McCormack noted that Washington will continue its diplomatic consultations with its EU-3 partners, namely Britain, France and Germany, as well as other members of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

    He said the United States is trying to take the most effective diplomatic action to solve Iran's nuclear issue. "We are trying to encourage Iran to get back to the negotiating table, to get back to the negotiations with the EU-3".

    "I think at this point we are going to wait to see how the diplomacy unfolds over the next several days," McCormack added.

    The spokesman insisted that Iran must "fully come to clean withthe rest of the world about its pursuit of nuclear weapon."

    The United States and the European Union fear that Iran is using a civilian nuclear power program to hide covert development of atomic weapons, something Iran has denied.

    The IAEA's 35-nation board of governors is due to meet in Vienna on Thursday to discuss the development of Iran's nuclear issue since it called on Iran in September to cease all nuclear fuel work, cooperate with an IAEA investigation and return to talks with the EU. Enditem