The US Ambassador to Baghdad has called on negotiators drafting Iraq's new constitution to bridge their differences for the good of the Iraqi people.
Zalmay Khalilzad was speaking at a news conference in the capital a day after the Iraqi parliament agreed to give negotiators another week to finalise the draft constitution.
A number of issues remain outstanding, including autonomy for Iraq's regions, the role of religion in law making, the distribution of oil revenues and the rights of women.
The committee had been due to finalise the constitution last night, but it now has until next Monday to resolve disputes on a number of questions, including the role of Islam in the state.
The constitution needs to be approved by the National Assembly before it can go to a nationwide referendum in October.
Mr Khalilzad said agreement had been close but he blamed the failure to meet yesterday's deadline partly on administrative problems.
US President George W Bush has praised what he called the heroic efforts made by Iraqi politicians to reach an agreement.
The American Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, said the delay was not a failure but was proof of democracy at work.
