Sunday's attack was the first US strike on Iran since 29 July, when the US carried out a "heavy wave of strikes" in response to an attempted attack on American military positions the day before.

This strike comes just days after the Trump administration said it was changing course. Instead of military strikes, it planned to focus on economic pressure to end the war with Iran. The new plan relies on threats to punish any country or company that keeps doing business with Tehran.

Sunday's strike came hours after Iran's supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, called on Muslim-majority countries across the region to unite against the US and Israel.

Khamenei issued the written message to mark the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed, coming six months into the war.

"The solution to the problems of the Islamic nations is unity of words, friendship, and cooperation on the path of goodness. Anyone, in any position, who does anything that leads to division among Muslims and creates conflict in the Muslim community, knowingly or unknowingly, intentionally or unintentionally, has served the purpose of the enemies of Islam," he said.

"Recognise your real enemy, understand its plan, and confront it," he added.

Tasnim News Agency, linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported that a drone carried out the strike on Larak Island, killing two people and wounding two others.

The US has not confirmed how the strike was carried out.

The latest strikes go back to a warning from President Trump last week, after US forces finished clearing sea mines from the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump said Iran had been warned: any ship or boat caught laying new mines in the strait would be "immediately and systematically destroyed."

"There is a Zero Tolerance policy on mine placement in full force and effect," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

US Central Command spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins laid out the Pentagon's justification for Sunday's strike, saying American forces targeted two Iranian launchers on Larak Island after spotting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps personnel preparing to fire rockets loaded with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz.

"Earlier today, US  forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz," Hawkins told AFP.

Hawkins added that US forces are continuing to keep close watch on the area and remain positioned to defend freedom of navigation through the strait.

The strike comes just days after the US military finished clearing all mines from the strait's main shipping lane, an operation the Trump administration had touted as restoring safe passage through one of the world's most critical oil chokepoints.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said that Sunday's US strike on Larak Island left a number of Iranian fighters and civilians dead or injured, and pledged to identify and punish those behind the attack, according to state broadcaster IRIB. The Guards did not disclose an exact number of casualties.

The US today struck two Iranian launch systems on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, according to news agency Reuters citing a US official. This is the first known American attack on Iranian territory since late July.

"I can confirm that earlier today US forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into Strait of Hormuz," the US official said, as quoted by Reuters.

The strikes took place on Sunday after US forces detected members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps preparing the launchers to fire rockets carrying sea mines into the strategically important waterway, according to the official.