From Hormuz to the Moon: A world on edge, at war, and reaching for the stars

The outcome could determine whether hostilities continue in the Middle East — or West Asia, as India calls the region — and whether the world inches closer to World War 3. For those who think that sounds exaggerated, consider the number of countries already drawn in: the US, Israel, Iran, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman. Pakistan, Turkey and China are playing peacemakers.

Many countries are already grappling with rising fuel prices and higher living costs. Air travel has been disrupted in several regions. Some governments have even asked citizens to work from home to reduce fuel consumption.

There is much at stake. One hopes negotiators keep the larger picture in mind rather than narrow political considerations or personal milestones. As always, time will tell.

In the meantime here’s what we do know:

Iranian negotiators have arrived in Pakistan ahead of peace talks with the US, due to take place this weekend, according to Iran state media.

US President Donald Trump wished Vice President J. D. Vance “luck” as the American delegation departed. Vance said he is “looking forward to negotiations” but warned that if Iran does not act in “good faith” or attempts to “try to play us,” the US “won’t be receptive.”

Iran earlier said a ceasefire in Lebanon must occur and billions of dollars of Iranian assets must be unfrozen “before negotiations begin,” injecting uncertainty into already complex discussions.

The nuclear question is the oldest and most fundamental source of Western suspicion. Iran insists it has never sought to build a bomb. However, after Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal — the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), negotiated under President Barack Obama — Iran enriched uranium beyond levels required for civilian use.

The US now wants Iran to hand over its enriched stockpile. That is complicated by the fact that US and Israeli strikes reportedly rendered parts of the stockpile inaccessible, buried under rubble at a facility near Isfahan.

Washington also wants Iran to commit to never pursuing a nuclear weapon. Tehran maintains that its right to enrich uranium is non-negotiable.

Oil tankers carrying crude, LPG and LNG cannot cross without Iranian approval. Tehran has reportedly floated the idea of levies on vessels transiting the strait, payable in Chinese yuan or cryptocurrency.

Plenty to discuss; hope Vance and his team realise that patience and time will be of essence at the talks as Iran’s leaders are fighting for their survival here.

The larger question remains: will Israel accept any agreement that emerges?

As for Pakistan playing mediator—yes, they have managed to bring themselves out of the cold onto diplomatic centre-stage. Should the talks succeed, they will gain more. But so will the world.

Yet, barely three months later, the initiative appears underfunded. Of the $17 billion pledged for Gaza reconstruction, only a fraction has materialized, delaying plans for the shattered enclave.

Ten days before the US and Israel attacked Iran, Trump hosted a Washington conference where Gulf Arab states pledged billions toward Gaza’s reconstruction and governance.

As of the second week of April 2026, only three countries — the United Arab Emirates, Morocco and the US — had honoured their pledges. Total contributions remain under $1 billion.

Unnamed sources across media reports attribute the shortfall to the Iran war — an irony not lost on observers.

Trump’s Gaza plan envisioned reconstruction following the disarmament of Hamas, with funding also supporting the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a US-backed group of Palestinian technocrats intended to assume control from Hamas.

For now, those plans remain on hold.

The number of people who have been on a Moon mission and back swelled to 28 this weekend (11 April) with NASA’s Orion capsule splashing down safely off the coast of San Diego in the Pacific Ocean (that was at 05:37 IST Saturday). This marked the end of a 10-day stay in space for four astronauts— three Americans and a Canadian.

The flight marked the first time humans travelled beyond low Earth orbit since the final Apollo program mission in December 1972.

The crew reached 406,778 km from Earth — 6,606 km farther than Apollo 13 in 1970.

It was historic on multiple fronts. NASA astronaut Christina Koch became the first woman to travel on a Moon mission. Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency became the first non-American on such a mission. Pilot Victor Glover became the first person of colour to be part of a lunar mission crew.

The astronauts tested Orion’s life-support systems, radiation detectors and next-generation spacesuits — groundwork for NASA’s long-term Artemis programme, including plans for a $20 billion lunar base within a decade.

Trump has already signalled ambitions beyond the Moon: “We’ll be doing it again and then, next step, Mars!”

Elizabeth Roche is associate professor of practice, O.P. Jindal Global University, Haryana.