China's 16th Arctic expedition team set sail from northeast China's Dalian port on Friday.
The mission marks China's first Arctic expedition in the first year of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030).
The fleet consists of four ships: Xuelong, Xuelong 2, Jidi, and Tansuo 3, with the survey set to wrap up by early October.
With the Arctic environment changing fast under the impact of global warming and sea ice shrinking at an alarming pace, continuous comprehensive surveys are critical for sustainable development in the region.
"The expedition will focus on addressing global climate change and its impacts, and will carry out surveys and monitoring of atmospheric environment, sea ice, biophysical environment, and oceanography in key Arctic waters. We will also explore and study some frontier issues, including the accretion mechanism of the Gakkel Ridge," said Wang Jinhui, head of the 16th Arctic expedition.
China's 16th Arctic expedition sets sail from Dalian
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said Monday it had launched a combined missile and drone strike on U.S. air bases in Jordan in retaliation for the U.S.-Israeli aerial attacks on Iran's Larak Island Sunday night.
The Iranian military targeted "technical and maintenance infrastructure," as well as areas where "enemy fighter jets" were stationed at the King Hussein and Al-Azraq U.S. bases in Jordan, inflicting heavy damage, according to a statement on IRGC's official news outlet Sepah News.
The IRGC warned that hostile actions would not weaken Iran's control over the Strait of Hormuz, and said any further attacks would be met with a more severe response.
U.S. forces on Sunday struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island, U.S. Central Command spokesperson Tim Hawkins said, marking the first known U.S. strike against Iran since late July.
"Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into Strait of Hormuz," Hawkins said in a statement, adding that the U.S. military was "monitoring the area closely and remains prepared to protect the free flow of commerce" through the strategic waterway.
IRGC said multiple military personnel and civilians were killed or wounded in the "U.S.-Israeli" attack on Larak Island in Hormozgan province.
Citing unofficial reports, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency said that at least two people were killed and two others injured in the U.S. "drone attack" on the island.
Larak Island is a small Iranian island located off the coast of Bandar Abbas, east of Qeshm Island and south of Hormuz Island.
Iran's IRGC says it attacked US bases in Jordan in retaliation
