London, Asharq Al-Awsat – A prominent Iraqi Government official has disclosed that fundamental changes have been made to the clauses of the Iraqi-American agreement which are making the negotiations progress forward.

The Iraqi official told Asharq Al-Awsat in Baghdad yesterday that there “is a change in some of the clauses of the Iraqi-American treaty which is expected to be referred to parliament soon” and pointed out “there are fundamental changes in some clauses which were demanded by the Iraqis and this will make the negotiations progress forward.”

The official, who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat on the condition of anonymity, said the “issue of protecting Iraqi sovereignty and the Iraqis’ rights is definite and there are other clauses which we cannot make public before we present the treaty to the Iraqi House of Representatives (parliament).” He pointed out that the “problem is Iran and Lebanon Hezbollah’s interference in the Iraqi affair and said: “Iran is exerting heavy pressures to disrupt the treaty and not turn it into a reality.

The Lebanese Hezbollah, which has Shiite influence in Iraq, has also started to exert its pressures against the treaty.” He added that, “Hezbollah under Hassan Nasrallah’s leadership is acting in Iraq as a neighboring country and Iran also believes it has the right to interfere directly in the Iraqi affair despite the opposition by the majority of the Iraqi Shiite leadership to this interference.” The Iraqi Government official stressed that “this treaty will be signed after the Iraqi parliament ratifies it. We are confident that it will be ratified soon whether Iran approves or not.”