The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has extended its advisory urging airlines to avoid the airspace of Iran, Iraq and Lebanon until at least 1 July, maintaining a warning first issued in late February 2026. The decision, announced on 24 June, reflects a continued assessment that the risk to civil aviation remains unacceptably high despite a framework understanding between Washington and Tehran that has reduced the overall level of regional confrontation.

According to the updated conflict-zone bulletin, the primary threat over Iran stems from the high alert posture of the Islamic Republic’s air force and air defence units nationwide, which EASA warns increases the probability of misidentification of civilian aircraft. The agency further notes that short-term violations of the US-Iran ceasefire remain possible, particularly in and around the Strait of Hormuz and adjacent airspace. Over Iraq, the airspace continues to be affected by what the bulletin describes as repeated attacks by Iran and by non-state armed groups, especially Iran-backed militias. Regarding Lebanon, EASA flags the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, stating that the potential for military activity impacting civil aviation persists at all altitudes.

The advisory, first published on 28 February 2026, followed a sharp escalation in which the United States and Israel conducted strikes on targets inside Iran, prompting retaliatory attacks by Tehran. Since then, EASA has updated the bulletin several times, each iteration reflecting evolving threat assessments. The current version acknowledges a relative reduction in the intensity of hostilities after the US-Iran framework deal, yet the operational recommendations remain unchanged: European and third-country operators holding EASA authorisations must not enter the airspace of Iran, Iraq or Lebanon at any flight level.

Beyond the three core states, the agency calls on all operators to exercise caution and account for potential risks when flying over Bahrain, Kuwait, Israel, Jordan, Qatar, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Separate warnings to avoid Syrian and Yemeni airspace also remain in force. Viewed from Brussels, the extension signals that European regulators see the regional security architecture as still too volatile to permit a return to normal routing, even as diplomatic channels between Washington and Tehran have lowered the immediate temperature.

The dossier remains under continuous review, with the next formal update expected before the 1 July expiry. Western security analysts note that the combination of unresolved ceasefire enforcement mechanisms, the presence of non-state actors with independent strike capabilities, and the heightened alert status of national air defences creates a risk environment that is unlikely to dissipate rapidly. For international carriers, the advisory means that key transit corridors linking Europe to Asia and the Gulf will remain disrupted for at least another week.