The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Thursday that it has officially lifted its naval blockade on all maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports and coastal areas.
"Today, U.S. forces lifted the blockade on all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas, in accordance with the President's direction," CENTCOM said in a statement published on social media platform X.
CENTCOM confirmed that U.S. forces are no longer impeding the movement of vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports in the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, marking the cessation of all U.S. military blockade operations in the region.
Despite that, U.S. Naval ships "will remain in the general area to make sure that all aspects of the agreement are adhered to, obeyed and in full force and effect", according to the statement.
Iran's official news agency IRNA on Wednesday evening published the full text of a recently finalized memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Tehran and Washington aimed at ending their conflict.
According to IRNA, immediately upon the MoU's signing, the United States will begin to lift its anti-Iran naval blockade and stop any harassment or obstruction against the country, and will fully end the blockade within 30 days.
It added during this period, traffic by vessels will return to the pre-war level to be restored by Iran, and the United States also undertakes to withdraw its military forces from areas around Iran within 30 days after the final agreement.
The report said by signing the MoU, Iran will make arrangements to the best of its ability to provide safe passage for commercial ships free of charge, only for a period of 60 days, from the Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and vice versa, adding that commercial ships' passage will commence immediately and will be established within 30 days given the need for removing technical and military obstacles and demining by Iran.
U.S. lifts naval blockade against Iran
Holiday cheer is building across China, with seasonal products driving a boom in the consumer market, as the Dragon Boat Festival and its holiday are approaching.
The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as the Duanwu Festival, is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. This year, the festival falls on June 19, with the three-day holiday running through June 21.
In Shanghai, many time-honored food brands have entered their peak sales season. Classic varieties of zongzi, the sticky rice dumplings, with fillings such as pork and red bean remain strong sellers. At the same time, many vendors in the city have also introduced innovative flavors to attract customers. New offerings such as black glutinous rice with red bean paste zongzi have proven particularly popular.
In major grocery stores across Lanzhou City, northwest China's Gansu Province, zongzi incorporating local specialty ingredients, such as lily bulbs and roses, have become top choices for shoppers.
Beyond festive foods, traditional customs are also driving seasonal demand. The Dragon Boat Festival is typically marked by the hanging of mugwort and calamus - a custom believed to ward off illness and evil spirits.
In Qidong City, east China's Jiangsu Province, mugwort farms have entered their busiest harvest period of the year, as they are producing more than 100,000 bundles daily for shipment to major supermarkets across the Yangtze River Delta region.
To the southwest of Qidong, Kunming City in Yunnan Province has seen a growing demand for festival-themed plants, such as calamus, fragrant wood and craspedia. The city's largest online fresh flower wholesale platform reported sales of 295,000 bundles of Dragon Boat Festival flowers so far this month, double the volume recorded during the same period last year.
In addition, local governments across China have also rolled out various service measures to ensure smooth operation of cultural and tourism markets during the holiday period.
East China's Fujian Province will offer more than 350 cultural and tourism activities and over 120 public welfare measures during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday.
Multiple scenic spots in south China's Guangdong Province have activated holiday support mechanisms to extend store operating hours and optimize time-slot reservations to enhance visitor experience.
Up north, in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, cultural and tourism consumption vouchers worth 15 million yuan (about 2.1 million U.S. dollars) have been issued for key sectors such as major scenic areas, hotels, homestays and cultural entertainment venues to further stimulate holiday spending.
Dragon Boat Festival spurs seasonal sales as festive atmosphere builds
