Iran still interfering in Iraq, top Army general says

(CNN) - Iran continues to "interfere" in Iraq, including training insurgents and paying surrogates, the U.S. commander in Iraq told CNN on Sunday.

But Army Gen. Ray Odierno said his mission is limited to providing security within Iraq, no matter the provocation from Iran or elsewhere.

"I'm not authorized to do anything outside the borders of Iraq," he said on the CNN program "State of the Union."

Iran's government has repeatedly denied fomenting violence inside Iraq.

Despite some high-profile bombings and attacks in recent days, Iraq's security forces are ready to take over for U.S. forces this week to stabilize the nation's major cities, Odierno said.

He said he's seen a "constant improvement" in both the security situation and governance in Iraq to prepare for the June 30 deadline for U.S. troops to withdraw from major cities.

"They've been working for this for a long time," Odierno said.

The shift is part of the security agreement that former President George W. Bush's administration signed with Iraq.

Odierno said the situation has improved, despite the recent violence he blamed on "extremist elements using the timeframe and date to gain attention to themselves and divert attention from the success of Iraqi security forces."