NASA's Artemis II mission launched on April 2, 2026, as President Trump announced a U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz on April 13, enforced by over 10,000 troops, warships, and aircraft targeting Iranian ports. Ceasefire negotiations between the U.S. and Iran collapsed in Islamabad on April 12, with mutual recriminations over demands, amid reports of over 3,000 Iranian deaths and 399 U.S. troop injuries. Unverified claims describe an Artemis astronaut's attachment to a mission plushie mascot named Rise.