On the first day of 2025, Yiwu City in east China, known as the world's capital of small commodities, was bustling with activity as holidaymakers flocked to the one-stop shopping destination that offers a diverse range of products from around the world.
At the Yiwu China Import Commodities City, merchants showcased their best-selling items. Visitors could find global treasures including Spanish ham, South African and French wines, and more, all in one place.
The ongoing New Year Shopping Festival at the market features nearly 150,000 varieties of products from over 100 countries and regions. The market has also issued vouchers that allow shoppers to enjoy discounts of up to 50 percent on their purchases.
"I'm getting these stuffs at pretty good prices, about a third lower than usual," said Ms. Liu, a local shopper. This was the tenth New Year spent in Yiwu for Syrian businessman Mike, who just made a special trip to the market to begin his year.
"[Here,] you can buy products from any country. On the first day [of 2025], I came here to find food I can share with my family," Mike said. Mike shopped at a pilot store that's part of Yiwu's initiative to boost innovative development in the import sector. The store imports goods in bulk, selling products at prices up to 30 percent less than before.
"By this morning, we had already processed nearly 120 orders. We hope to expand our import channels in the new year and bring more high-quality foreign goods to the Yiwu market, allowing residents to buy even more affordable products," said Xu Zhijian, the manager of the pilot store.
Yiwu market starts 2025 with one-stop shopping experience for global treasures
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Monday that Iran has obtained extensive documents and evidence linking the recent unrest across the country to the U.S. and Israel, noting that Mossad agents attempted to direct such "terrorist acts."
Araghchi said at a press conference in Tehran that since Dec 28, 2025, Iran had seen peaceful demonstrations organized by industry associations and economic professional. In the following days, more participants joined, and the situation gradually escalated from peaceful rallies into violent clashes.
Beginning on Jan 8, terrorists and armed groups carrying weapons entered protest sites and opened fire on police and civilians, with the aim of steering demonstrations toward violence, bloodshed and chaos, he said.
"Israeli media reports are rife with claims that Israel has designed and conducted operations in Iran. Mr. [Mike] Pompeo, who was Trump's CIA director, said on his X that 'Happy New Year to every Iranian in the streets. Also to every Mossad agent walking beside them.' This clearly shows that Mossad agents attempted to direct such terrorist acts," the minister said. Addressing military threats from the U.S. and Israel, Araghchi said Iran does not seek war but is fully prepared to face up to war. He added that Iran is ready for serious and pragmatic negotiations with the U.S., but the talks must be based on fairness, equality and mutual respect, rather than unilateral pressure or directives from Washington.
On the same day, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei condemned the U.S. and Israel at a regular press briefing in Tehran. He said the two countries have made "extensive interventionist remarks" regarding Iran's situation, saying such statements are intended to foment chaos, violence and instability.
The spokesman said Iran is closely monitoring the development of the situation and remains fully prepared, warning that Iran's armed forces will respond to any act of aggression by its enemies.
Mossad agents attempt to direct terrorist acts: Iranian FM
