CBS Mornings

Erbil, Iraq — As hopes for a deal between the U.S. and Iran to end the war, now in its 90th day, rise and fall, there's little indication that the oppressive regime that's ruled over the country for almost half a century is going anywhere soon. As rights groups warn of a dramatic rise in executions, some Iranians fear the Islamic Republic, rather than being toppled, may become more brutal.

It took weeks of planning to find a way into the Strait of Hormuz. We studied maps. Talked through scenarios. How we would get in. How we would get out. Who we could call if something went wrong. And what would happen if we ran into trouble along the way. Our plan was to reach one of the strait's narrowest points. Close enough to see, for ourselves, the oil tankers and cargo ships that had been backing up there for weeks.

A senior Pakistani government official confirmed to CBS News that Islamabad has intensified diplomatic efforts to bring Tehran and Washington back to the negotiating table over the Iran war. Despite the lack of a breakthrough in the historic face-to-face round of talks over the weekend, Pakistani authorities said they remain cautiously optimistic about the prospects for continued engagement between both sides.