Chinese hospital ship 'Peace Ark' concludes visit in Gabon

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy hospital ship "Peace Ark" completed its week-long mission in Gabon and left for Cameroon on Thursday.

At 10:00 local time, the Peace Ark left the Owendo Port in Libreville, the capital of Gabon, where Gabonese officials, local residents, staff of Chinese institutions, and overseas Chinese held a seeing-off ceremony and waved goodbye to the soldiers on board.

During the seven days in Gabon, the Peace Ark used its main platform to provide medical services to incoming patients. In addition, it also dispatched expert teams and medical teams to local hospitals to offer joint medical treatment to local residents.

The medical professionals on the ship provided medical treatment to over 6,900 people, conducted auxiliary examinations for more than 3,300 people, and successfully performed 171 surgeries.

The hospital ship also performed the first ship-based robotic operation on a 71-year-old male patient in Gabon after having a confirmed diagnosis and getting the patient's consent.

When offering joint medical treatment, doctors from China and Gabon engaged in in-depth discussions on surgical skills. Gabonese doctors also observed a gallbladder removal surgery on the Peace Ark.

"The operation went smoothly. Gabonese doctors observed the whole process of our surgery. We exchanged experiences with them about promoting minimally invasive surgery in Gabon. The advanced medical facilities on the hospital ship and the professional skills of Chinese doctors are recognized by Gabonese doctors," said Doctor Pang Tao with the Mission Harmony-2024.

The Peace Ark set sail from a military port in Zhoushan in east China's Zhejiang Province in mid-June for the Mission Harmony-2024.

During the mission, the ship will visit 13 countries in total and provide medical services to local people. It will also make port calls to France and Greece.

Chinese hospital ship 'Peace Ark' concludes visit in Gabon

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned on Sunday that Tehran would view the United States and Israel's military bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" should Washington take military action against Iran.

At a parliamentary session convened to review an emergency proposal on assembly regulations, Qalibaf emphasized that, at this highly sensitive juncture, Iran must accurately and thoroughly identify the schemes of its adversaries.

Qalibaf said that Iran is currently confronting Israel and the United States simultaneously on four fronts: economic, cognitive, military, and counterterrorism. Of them, the economic warfare and the cognitive and psychological warfare began many years ago and have persisted to this day, growing increasingly complex and intense in recent years.

The remarks came as U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran, taking advantage of its nationwide unrest.

Protests have erupted in several Iranian cities since late December over the sharp fall of the rial and long-standing economic hardship. Iranian authorities have acknowledged the demonstrations and voiced willingness to address economic grievances, while warning against violence and vandalism.

Amid the ongoing protests, deadly clashes have been reported lately between police and what the government described as "rioters." However, no official death toll has been released.

Also on Sunday, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will address the country's economic situation and political environment in a televised interview later that day.

Iran swears to counterattack if attacked