Can the U.S. and Iran take the off-ramp?

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.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/5188x3459+0+0/resize/5188x3459!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F4c%2F20%2F96aff419411fbb1bd4a3c4a071b2%2Fap26205707073234.jpg' alt='President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, July 24, 2026, in Washington.'/><p>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.</p><p>(Image credit: Rod Lamkey)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=g-s1-135611' />