China's self-developed floating airship Jimu No.1 successfully carried out atmospheric research over the Purog Kangri Glacier in Xizang Autonomous Region earlier this month.
The Purog Kangri, situated in Xizang's Nagqu City is the world's third-largest ice sheet and the largest outside of the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Due to growing threats from global warming, meterological data collection is crucial to efforts to conserve the glacier.
Under the operation of 65 scientists, the airship managed to ascend to 6,300 meters and gather valuable data such as greenhouse gases, aerosols, and other atmospheric conditions over the glacier.
This atmospheric research was conducted during the monsoon season, when adverse weather, including thunderstorms and snow, frequently pose challenges to the research, further testing the airship's capability.
"We chose the monsoon season because the meteorological conditions are particularly complex, presenting a completely new challenge for us," said Zhao Aibin, on-site supervisor from the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The data collected during this operation will significantly contribute to the understanding of the Purog Kangri Glacier's environment, helping scientists better predict changes in the region's atmosphere and climate.
This research is expected to continue until the end of September, with the findings offering critical insights into atmospheric circulation patterns.
Chinese floating airship collects atmospheric data over world's third-largest ice sheet
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday that his country has not sent hypersonic missiles to Yemen's Houthi group.
The president made the remarks at a press conference in Tehran, in response to a question from an Al Jazeera news network reporter who quoted political experts saying that Iran has supplied hypersonic missiles, or the technology to develop them, to the Houthis.
Iran has hypersonic missiles, but not of the same kind that the Houthis possess, Pezeshkian said, adding that the Houthis themselves had developed the missiles over time.
It is impossible for Iran to send missiles to Yemen covertly when it takes more than a week just to send solely human forces to the country, he said.
Pezeshkian said that Iran and the Houthis have worked together against Israel's "genocide" in Gaza, and stressed that the international community should condemn the crimes against humanity committed by Israel.
"If [the Western] countries are worried about the security of Israel, why are they not concerned about the security of Gaza Strip, the security of Palestine and innocent people? Civilized countries and supporters of human rights should not allow power to bomb and kill innocent civilians while simultaneously accusing Iran of supplying missiles to Yemen's Houthis," said Pezeshkian.
On Iran-U.S. relations, Pezeshkian emphasized Iran's pursuit of peace over conflict and clarified that Iran has no intentions of building nuclear weapons.
However, he said, the U.S. has chosen to abandon the Iran nuclear deal and made threats against Iran. The possibility of a relaxation in strained relations between the two sides hinges on the U.S. dropping its animosity towards Iran and revoking its extensive sanctions against the country, he said.
"We don't want to start a war, but the U.S. wants to impose wars on us. If the U.S. is willing to respect Iran's rights, we will not engage in conflict with the U.S. or any other party. We hope to develop safely in our own country without the U.S. undermining Iran's security or threaten and humiliate Iran. we will never accept humiliation," Pezeshkian said.
Iran has not sent hypersonic missiles to Yemen's Houthis: President Pezeshkian
