Shenzhou-20 astronauts welcomed aboard space station by Shenzhou-19 crew

Astronauts on the Shenzhou-20 manned spaceship were greeted by the Shenzhou-19 crew who they will be replacing, after successfully docking with China's Tiangong space station in orbit on Friday to begin the handover of duties.

The Shenzhou-20 spaceship, with Commander Chen Dong and crew members Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie aboard, docked with the space station's core Tianhe module at 23:49 Thursday (Beijing Time).

At 01:17 Friday (Beijing Time), the Shenzhou-19 crew opened the hatch and greeted the new arrivals. The two teams took group photos and sent messages to ground staff, while the commanders of the two space missions exchanged greetings.

"On behalf of the Shenzhou-19 crew, I welcome all of you to the Chinese space station. Chen Dong and I previously conducted the Shenzhou-14 mission together. This time, we can work together on the space station again, I feel really happy and very lucky. Congratulations to Chen Dong on his return to the Chinese space station and to [Chen] Zhongrui and Wang Jie on fulfilling their space dream. Let's build our space home together in the coming days," said Cai Xuzhe, commander of the Shenzhou-19 crew.

"I feel very warm in my heart coming to our space home again. It feels like I'm back to the familiar scene where I carried out the Shenzhou-14 mission with Cai Xuzhe. And I also feel very warm seeing [Song] Lingdong and [Wang] Haoze again. [The distance between us] used to be as far as 400 kilometers, but today we are face to face. I'm very happy. We were launched on China Space Day to meet with you, so we are very lucky and proud. We will have a very short time together on the station, so let's cherish it and work hard together to complete the subsequent tasks well," said Chen Dong, commander of the Shenzhou-20 mission.

Space station newcomers in the Shenzhou-20 crew thanked their predecessors for their hard work over the past six months and said they were looking forward to the handover.

"I'm really happy that we are reunited again in Tiangong now. Your performance in all aspects has been excellent, and all the work you have done has been very successful and perfect. We will learn from you to maintain, operate and develop Tiangong well," said Chen Zhongrui, a Shenzhou-20 astronaut. "You have been working and living in orbit for half a year, thanks for your hard efforts. Seeing that you have taken care of our space home so well, I give you a sincere thumbs up. In the next few days, let's do a good job in the handover together. We will quickly adjust our state, adapt to the work and life in space as soon as possible, and do our best to run our leg well," said Wang Jie, another member of the new crew.

The Shenzhou-19 crew members warmly welcomed the new arrivals, saying they had prepared them some food to restore their energy after the long journey in to space.

"Congratulations on coming to our own space station. You have worked so hard. We have prepared steaming hot dumplings for you so that you can replenish your energy and have a good rest. In the following days, let's work hard to learn from each other, communicate with each other, and complete the entire handover task together well," said Song Lingdong, a Shenzhou-19 astronaut.

"It's really exciting to see the three of you. With your arrival, our space station is bustling again. In the next few days, let's work and live well together, and hand in hand create a brilliant future together," said Wang Haoze, another member of the Shenzhou-19 mission.

"Building our dreams in Tiangong and continuing to work hard! China's space station is always worth looking forward to!" the six astronauts chorused, before sharing a group hug.

The six astronauts will live and work together for about five days to complete planned tasks and handover work, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

The Shenzhou-20 manned spaceship blasted off atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket at 17:17 (Beijing Time) Thursday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.

Shenzhou-20 astronauts welcomed aboard space station by Shenzhou-19 crew

Shenzhou-20 astronauts welcomed aboard space station by Shenzhou-19 crew

Shenzhou-20 astronauts welcomed aboard space station by Shenzhou-19 crew

Shenzhou-20 astronauts welcomed aboard space station by Shenzhou-19 crew

Iran has rejected a U.S.-proposed 15-point peace plan, calling instead for a permanent end to the conflict, the official news agency IRNA reported on Monday.

Iran delivered its response via Pakistan in a 10-point document, citing past experiences as the reason it would not accept a ceasefire.

The response outlines Iran's demands, including ending regional conflicts, establishing safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, reconstructing war-affected areas, and lifting international sanctions.

IRNA claimed the text was presented following recent developments in Iran's western and central regions and the unsuccessful outcome of a U.S. helicopter operation, with U.S. President Donald Trump extending a previously set deadline again and adjusting earlier threats.

In a press conference on Monday, Trump called Iran's 10-point response a "significant step" but said it was "not good enough."

Meanwhile, Trump said that the Tuesday deadline he has set for Iran to make a deal is final.

Also on Monday, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that Iran will present its position based on its national interests, security, and the legitimate demands of the Iranian people.

In late March, U.S. media reported that Washington sent a 15-point plan to Iran through Pakistan to try to end the war. Iran later rejected the plan, calling it "excessive and disconnected from the realities on the battlefield."

The Islamic Republic set several preconditions for peace. These include ending U.S. and Israeli aggression, creating mechanisms to prevent future attacks, compensating for war damage, stopping fighting across all fronts in West Asia, and recognizing Iran's sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.

Since Feb 28, Israel and the United States have been jointly attacking Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Iran's then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians. Iran continues to respond by launching missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and U.S. assets in the Middle East.

Iran rejects U.S. ceasefire offer, issues 10-point plan calling for permanent end to war