By Allison Lampert June 3 (Reuters) - Lebanon's aviation regulator has carried out a safety audit of Middle East Airlines as pilot groups raised concerns that crews were being asked to fly close to airstrikes and penalized for reporting safety incidents, letters seen by Reuters show. The audit puts scrutiny on Beirut-based flag carrier MEA, which has kept Lebanon connected through war and financial collapse even as many foreign airlines have avoided large parts of Middle East airspace because of missile and drone risks since the Iran war began on February 28.