U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday (local time) that he could say they are "considering a limited strike" against Iran.

President Trump responded to reporters' questions about whether he was considering a limited strike to pressure Iran shortly after a working breakfast with governors at the White House.

Earlier, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that President Trump was reviewing a plan for a limited strike, dubbed a "bloody nose" operation, against Iran to reach a more favorable nuclear deal, citing multiple sources.

President Trump's senior advisors have presented him with such options for an attack on Iran on several occasions, and the initial limited strikes are reportedly aimed at some military facilities and government agencies.

If Iran does not respond to a "phase one strike" aimed at pressuring it to abandon its nuclear enrichment program, meaning if it is finally determined that nuclear negotiations with Iran have failed, the U.S. is likely to attempt to overthrow the Ayatollah Khamenei regime through a widespread all-out war, the WSJ reported.

President Trump at a breakfast with governors [AFP Yonhap News]