WASHINGTON -- The U.S. military has paused its airstrikes on Iran after nearly two weeks of intensifying bombing, while diplomatic efforts have pushed forward to try to avert a return to all-out war. A regional official involved in the mediation efforts said that concerted diplomacy was underway and that a pause in U.S. strikes and Iranian counterstrikes on neighboring countries hosting American forces was a 'positive signal that helps their efforts to de-escalate.' The official said that both the U.S. and Iran want to return to the interim ceasefire deal and that a compromise centers around having Iran run vessel transit through the Strait of Hormuz with fewer restrictions on ships. Among the challenges the U.S. faces is the fractured leadership in Iran, with different factions vying for control.