The European Union Aviation Safety Agency issued a directive on Wednesday urging airlines to refrain from operating within the national airspace of Iran, Iraq and Lebanon. The agency said its bulletin covering those three countries will remain valid until August 31.
EASA said the guidance was prompted by an ongoing high level of tensions and the possibility of further military activity after recent exchanges between the U.S. and Iran. The advisory replaces an earlier EASA notice that had recommended caution when operating over Bahrain, Kuwait, Israel, Jordan, Qatar, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. The agency did not indicate whether it will publish a replacement advisory for those other countries.
The new EASA bulletin follows public statements from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that they had targeted U.S. military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait on Wednesday. Those actions came after a series of U.S. strikes against Iranian targets, which in turn followed incidents involving tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
President Donald Trump, speaking on Monday, said the U.S. would either reach a deal with Iran or "finish the job," a comment that renewed the possibility of further military measures.
EASA said the implementation of the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran remained fragile, and that its decision was grounded in the "ongoing high level of tensions and the potential for further military action." The agency added that if the current truce were to fail, Iranian airspace was likely to face "imminent threats."
The advisory puts a clear operational constraint on airlines that typically route over or near the affected territories. While the bulletin explicitly names three states, the withdrawal of the prior cautionary notice for a broader group of Gulf countries leaves uncertainty for carriers about future routing and risk assessments for flights in the wider region.
Summary
EASA has ordered airlines to avoid Iran, Iraq and Lebanon airspace until Aug. 31, citing heightened tensions and the potential for renewed military action after exchanges between the U.S. and Iran. A previous cautionary notice covering several Gulf states was withdrawn.