Iran has granted its commanders greater autonomy over militias in Iraq, allowing some groups to carry out operations without Tehran's approval, a shift driven by the pressures of the war, three militia members and two other officials told The Associated Press.

Many Iran-backed militias are funded through the Iraqi state budget and embedded within the security apparatus, drawing criticism from the United States and other countries that have borne the brunt of their attacks and say Baghdad has failed to take a tougher stance.

French President Emmanuel Macron is to reaffirm France's full commitment to the ceasefire in Lebanon and support for the country's territorial integrity at a meeting Tuesday in Paris with Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Macron's office said.

Pakistan is preparing for a new round of talks between the U.S. and Iran as the ceasefire is set to expire Wednesday, while Lebanon and Israel are set to hold a new meeting in Washington later this week.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam spoke at a meeting in Luxembourg about the fragile ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, disarming the Hezbollah militant group, and the need for EU assistance for the war-torn nation.

“Lebanon today needs its European partners more than ever,” Salam posted on X on Tuesday.

Buoyed by the election of a new leader in Hungary, Europe's top diplomats are meeting in Luxembourg to forge plans of action on multiple crises from the ongoing war in Ukraine, Russian hybrid attacks, and economic instability as the war in Iran drives up energy prices worldwide.

But it is the European Union's policy toward Israel — and how to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as security deteriorates in the Palestinian territories of Gaza and the occupied West Bank, as well as in Lebanon — that is dividing the 27-nation bloc.

Lebanon’s public works and transport minister said Tuesday that 15 bridges have been damaged or destroyed during the latest war.

Fayez Rasamny told the local LBC TV channel that the government still doesn't have a final estimate for the damage caused by the almost seven-week Israel-Hezbollah war.

In the leadup and throughout the seven-week war, U.S. President Donald Trump has faced criticism from the left and from some of his own supporters that he followed Israel’s lead into launching the conflict.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, on Monday expressed “profound indignation and unreserved condemnation” of the defacing of a statue of Jesus Christ by an Israeli soldier in Lebanon, saying the act “constitutes a grave affront to the Christian faith.”

The ceasefire in the Iran war hangs in the balance as Pakistan's capital stands prepared for possible new talks between Tehran and Washington.

As of right now, the two-week ceasefire will expire at 0000 GMT Wednesday (8 p.m. ET Tuesday.) But the truce between Iran, Israel and the United States started after multiple deadlines posed by U.S. President Donald Trump that threatened Iran's very "civilization" at one point. Further delays or sudden changes likely will be the norm leading up to the deadline.

Oil prices climbed more than 5% and Wall Street veered toward losses before the opening bell Monday as a standoff between Iran and the U.S. prevented tankers from using the Strait of Hormuz.

Futures for the S&P 500 also fell 0.5% while futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 0.6%. Nasdaq futures also were off by 0.5%.

More than 60 nations sent representatives to Brussels Monday to discuss with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Mustafa stability, security and long-term peace in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, as global attention largely remains focused in the Middle East on the ongoing crises in Iran and Lebanon.

Ongoing attacks in the West Bank and continued devastation in Gaza have dimmed the prospect for a two-state solution, said Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot ahead of the meeting Monday. He is co-hosting the meeting with the EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas.