Iran warns France, Britain against deploying warships to Strait of Hormuz

Iran has warned France and Britain against deploying naval vessels to the Strait of Hormuz, saying any such move would escalate tensions and militarize the strategic waterway. The warning came as an oil tanker successfully crossed the strait using a route designated by Iranian authorities.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said in a social media post on Sunday that "any deployment of extra-regional warships around the Strait of Hormuz under the pretext of 'protecting shipping' is nothing but an escalation of the crisis and the militarization of a vital waterway."

He stressed "Maritime security cannot be ensured through a show of military power," and that only Iran can guarantee security in the strait.

Warning that the presence of French or British vessels to accompany U.S. actions "will be met with a decisive and immediate response" from Iran's armed forces, he strongly advised the two countries "not to complicate the situation further."

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking during his visit to Kenya on Sunday, noted that France had "never envisaged" a naval deployment in the Strait of Hormuz, but rather a security mission to be "coordinated with Iran."

Macron reiterated his opposition to a blockade of the strait by either side.

Furthermore, the British government has announced that British Secretary of State for Defense John Healey and French Minister of the Armed Forces Catherine Vautrin will co-chair a multinational meeting on Tuesday involving over 40 countries to discuss military plans aimed at restoring trade through the strait. The semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Monday that an oil tanker named Agios Fanourios I passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday via an Iran-designated route after coordinating with Iranian authorities.

The tanker, carrying oil from Iraq, is currently sailing toward Vietnam. Iran requires all non-hostile vessels to obtain permission before transiting the strait through designated routes.

London-based maritime analytics firm Windward said in a social media post on Sunday that satellite imagery and multi-source intelligence suggest that Iran may be deploying fast-attack boat formations to escort vessels in the strait on Saturday. A bulk carrier was observed sailing with what appeared to be a formation of high-speed craft nearby, indicating possible escort operations.

According to its monitoring data, multiple clusters of high-speed craft activity were observed on Saturday, including five formations comprising more than 80 fast boats moving northward.

On the same day, six vessels entered the Gulf via the strait, including two very large crude carriers, two bulk carriers and two oil tankers, while one very large crude carrier exited the Gulf.

The Financial Times reported Saturday that Iran maintains hundreds of fast-attack craft forming a fleet, dispersed along its southern coast and concealed in coves, caves and tunnels.

It added that "the flotilla of small boats has faced off against the might of the U.S. Navy," while playing an integral role in what the report described as an effective blockade that has strained global energy flows and increased pressure on the United States.

Iran warns France, Britain against deploying warships to Strait of Hormuz

Long celebrated as the "world's supermarket" for exporting small goods, China's small commodities hub, Yiwu, is rewriting its economic narrative by actively pursuing a dual strategy of "selling to the world" and "buying from the world".

The east China city has now been transformed into a premier shopping destination for imported goods from across the globe.

At the Yiwu Imported Commodities Mall, a staggering 150,000 types of products from over 100 countries and regions across the world are for sale.

The mall's shelves are stocked with goods such as Spanish ham, Malaysian durians, Nepalese wool felt, and African handicrafts.

Zhu Ke, who runs a store specializing in Malaysian products, has seen her customer base continuously expanding, thanks to the rapid growth of China's market and vastly improved customs clearance efficiency.

"People used to think the supply chain for edible bird's nests was long and complex, thus it was difficult to import. But now, it only takes as fast as three days to deliver the delicacy from our factory in Malaysia, through the Yiwu customs department, to our bonded warehouse, and finally to the customer. Malaysian Musang King durians can now go straight from the orchard to consumers' doorsteps in just 24 hours," said Zhu.

Edible bird's nests are bird nests created by swiftlets using solidified saliva, which are harvested for human consumption.

This rich variety of imported goods perfectly align with the increasingly diversified and personalized consumption demands of Chinese buyers. Therefore, the sales volume of merchants in the mall has been growing exponentially.

"The designs, styles, and colors of these imported products are unique and novel, which is why consumers, especially the younger generation, love them. Overall, our import business is on a steady upward trend," said Jin Jian, another mall merchant.

Shoppers echo this sentiment.

"I bought a Nepalese scarf, Russian chocolate, and honey," one customer said, hailing the diverse array of products in the mall.

Official data showed that in the first half of this year, Yiwu's total import and export value reached 486.42 billion yuan (about 72.33 billion U.S. dollars), a year-on-year increase of 19.9 percent. Notably, the import value hit 65.7 billion yuan, surging by an impressive 39.1 percent.

China's small commodities hub transformed into dynamic "global shopping cart" for imported goods