The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has told airlines not to operate within the airspace of Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon, extending its conflict-zone bulletin as regional tensions remain high.

The agency said the warning covers the three countries’ airspace amid the risk of further military action. The bulletin is valid until August 31.

The advisory comes as the Middle East continues to absorb the fallout from exchanges of attacks involving the United States and Iran.

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A calm sky remains some way off

EASA said its decision was driven by “ongoing high levels of tension and the potential for further military action.” The agency also warned that if the current truce were to collapse, Iranian airspace could face “imminent threats.”

The advisory was issued against the backdrop of fresh attacks, including Iranian strikes on US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait and earlier US strikes on Iran after tanker incidents in the Strait of Hormuz.

No room for airy assumptions

The EASA bulletin itself describes the region as a high-risk airspace environment shaped by continuing military and security volatility.

On its conflict-zone page, the agency says the advisory applies to operators flying in or through the affected airspace and states that air operators should not operate within the airspace of Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon at all flight levels and altitudes.

It adds that operators should maintain up-to-date risk assessments, keep contingency plans ready, and closely monitor regional airspace developments.

Will this uneasy balance endure?

The agency’s background note also says the alert is rooted in the wider security fallout from military strikes and retaliatory action across the region.

It says Iranian airspace remains vulnerable because of high alert levels and the possibility of misidentification, while Iraq continues to face risks linked to recurrent strikes and non-state actors.

Lebanon, EASA says, remains exposed to possible military activity despite a fragile ceasefire, leaving civil aircraft at high risk across all altitudes.

Eyes remain fixed on the skies

EASA had withdrawn an earlier bulletin that also urged caution over Bahrain, Kuwait, Israel, Jordan, Qatar, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, although it was not immediately clear whether a new advisory would be issued for those states.

For now, the agency says it will keep monitoring the situation and reassess the risk to EU operators if the threat environment changes.

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FAQs

Q1: Why has EASA advised airlines to avoid Iran, Iraq and Lebanon airspace?

EASA says the advisory is due to ongoing regional tensions and the risk of further military action that could threaten civil aviation.

Q2: Does the EASA advisory ban all flights over Iran, Iraq and Lebanon?

The advisory is issued for operators under EASA’s oversight and recommends avoiding the affected airspace rather than imposing a global flight ban.