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Iran has attacked US bases in the Gulf region in retaliation for the latest round of US strikes, which came after Donald Trump said he would "hit them hard".

US Central Command (Centcom) said it had completed its second day of "self-defense strikes", launched on Wednesday after Trump said Tehran has taken "too long to make a deal" to end the war.

In response, Iran said it had attacked a US bases in Bahrain and Kuwait - which it also said it had targeted after US strikes on Tuesday.

The escalation of tit-for-tat strikes in recent days has tested a fragile ceasefire agreed in April.

After the latest US attack, explosions were heard in cities the south of Iran, near the Strait of Hormuz where US forces hit air defence, radar and other sites on Tuesday.

During Wednesday's flare-up, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) also said it had struck ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

That came after Iranian state media reported that the Strait of Hormuz was "completely closed to all type of vessel". Centcom, however, said "commercial ships are continuing to transit in and out of the Strait of Hormuz".

Two oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz were hit by Iran's navy, Iranian state media reported, although there was no immediate confirmation.

Oil prices rose shortly after the closure of the shipping channel and the apparent attack on the ships was announced.

Brent crude oil, seen as the global benchmark, climbed above $95 a barrel after rising by about 2% during morning trade in Asia.

Hours before the latest US attack was launched, Trump had warned: “We hit them hard yesterday and we're going to hit them hard again today.”

Trump wrote on Truth Social that Iranian leaders have "taken too long to negotiate a deal", while the Iranian foreign ministry accused the US of "damaging the diplomatic process through the contradictory messages it sends".

In response to Trump's comments Iran's president Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran "will stand firm against any pressure or threat".

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth later said bombs would be "dropping on key facilities in Iran".

Hegseth said Iran had been given a chance to make a deal but had not taken it, and Trump had said Iran would be attacked again if no peace deal was secured.

In April, the US and Iran agreed a ceasefire that was initially meant to last for two weeks. Both sides have since exchanged intermittent fire, without returning to full-scale hostilities.

However, recent efforts to broker negotiations between Washington and Tehran have stalled and attacks have ramped up.

On Tuesday, a US helicopter was downed in an attack that was blamed on Iran. The IRGC responded by targeting US bases across the Middle East.

In a statement on X, UN Secretary General António Guterres said the Middle East was "being pulled deeper into crisis", and recent attacks meant "the ceasefire is more like a lesser-fire".

"We should not minimize the risks of lesser fire becoming full fire. All parties must work towards a diplomatic settlement. No more attacks. No more excuses," he said in a statement.

Source: BBC

– Agencies

An individual has been arrested in Werahera, Boralesgamuwa after police officers seized a large stock of heroin and Crystal Methamphetamine (‘Ice’) during a raid.

The operation was carried out by a team of officers attached to the Western Province North Crime Division. Police recovered approximately 1 kilogram and 80 grams of heroin and 5 kilograms and 24 grams of Crystal Methamphetamine from the suspect's possession.

The 42-year-old suspect, a resident of Boralesgamuwa, is believed to have been involved in local drug trafficking activities linked to overseas narcotics networks.

Authorities said preliminary investigations have uncovered connections between the suspect and foreign-based drug traffickers who allegedly facilitated narcotics distribution within the country.

Further investigations are being conducted by the Western Province North Crime Division.

The National Dengue Control Unit has declared a nationwide Dengue Control Week beginning June 15 in a bid to intensify efforts to curb the rising spread of dengue across Sri Lanka.

Community Physician Specialist Dr. Prasheela Samaraweera of the National Dengue Control Unit said the decision was taken in response to the increasing number of dengue cases reported island-wide.

As part of ongoing prevention measures, a special mosquito control programme was conducted throughout the country on June 8, 9, and 10 to identify and eliminate mosquito breeding sites.

Dr. Samaraweera further stated that an additional mosquito eradication week is being planned at the local government level to strengthen dengue prevention efforts and reduce the risk of further transmission.

Health authorities have urged the general public to support these initiatives by maintaining clean surroundings and eliminating potential mosquito breeding grounds in their homes and communities.

Former Chief Minister of the Southern Province Shan Wijayalal De Silva has been arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).

He was arrested this morning by Bribery Commission officials.

A case has been filed over alleged irregularities in the use of Rs. 16.5 million allocated for Southern Provincial Council members’ development fund in 2019, for the procurement of chairs for public voluntary associations in the Southern Province.

It is alleged that a manufacturing company was selected outside the approved procurement procedure, thereby conferring an undue advantage to the supplier.

Authorities further allege that 16,361 chairs purchased under the project were distributed to 54 provincial council members across the three districts in the Southern Province and delivered to their offices, resulting in financial loss to the state.

Investigations claim that the procurement and distribution process deviated from established procedures, leading to the alleged misuse of public funds.

He is scheduled to be produced before court today.

Kuwait has introduced new regulations governing the recruitment of domestic workers, limiting hiring to 10 approved source countries, including Sri Lanka, while prohibiting recruitment from 27 others.

The new directive was issued by Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior as part of efforts to strengthen oversight and streamline labour market procedures.

Under the circular, domestic workers may be recruited from Sri Lanka, South Africa, Benin, Senegal (males only), Eritrea, Ethiopia, the Philippines, India, Vietnam, and Nepal.

The Ministry said recruitment procedures will be handled through the country's governorates.

The circular also identifies 27 countries from which recruitment is prohibited. The decision was made following observations and recommendations from several government agencies, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Health, and the Public Authority for Manpower.

In some of the restricted countries, the ban applies only to female domestic workers.

According to local media reports, some of the countries listed in the directive maintain diplomatic representation in Kuwait, while others do not have embassies in the country.

The Ministry of Interior said the decision has been communicated to residency affairs departments and service centres, which have been instructed to implement the new regulations.

--with Agencies inputs--