"The United States does not have some plan or some list with nations on the list that we are going to go attack one after another," Powell told Pakistan television in an interview shown in its prime evening bulletin.

"We hope that as a result of what happened in Iraq and the revulsion that the world has to terrorist activities and to development of weapons of mass destruction that some of the nations that we have been in touch with, speaking to -- say in Iran -- we are moving in a new direction."

Powell stressed the US would "speak firmly about this, speak from a position of priciple that this is the time for all nations to realise that terrorism is a threat to all of us".

"We all must do everything that we can to end terrorism and also do something about the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction."

Powell expressed optimism that the Iraqi people would form a government that "is not an aggressive regime that invades it neighbours but ... will be a regime that no longer terrorises its people and wants to live in peace with its neighbours and use the oil wealth of Iraq for the benefit of people of Iraq ..."

"We believe Iraqi people can determine how they will be governed and by whom they will be governed. We are quite hopeful and optimistic that we can help them create a government that will be democratic and that will be representing all people of Iraq."

The US troops were busy tightening their grip in Iraq Thursday after seizing control of most parts of Baghdad while still facing sproadic resistance.

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