IAEA finds tons of nuclear material in Syria, warns of misuse

Rafael Grossi, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), announced Tuesday that "several tons of nuclear material" have been found in Syria. The discovery was made at a site that Syrian authorities reported in July. "We are talking about several tons of nuclear material that could be misused," Grossi stated at a joint press conference with Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani in Damascus.

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We are talking about several tons of nuclear material that could be misused.

Grossi praised Damascus's "brave decision" to report the undeclared site, which dates back to the former regime. He indicated that the materials would be placed under "international supervision." The Syrian minister explained that his country sent an official letter to the agency on July 17, voluntarily reporting the presence of nuclear material at an undeclared location, part of a legacy left by the previous administration.

A team from the IAEA, including Grossi, concluded a visit to the site and collected necessary samples. According to "technical assessments," the materials do not pose a risk, the Syrian minister assured. The materials will remain in Syria and be subject to the agency's monitoring. Syrian experts will collaborate with IAEA specialists to ensure the safe storage of these materials, Grossi confirmed.

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We sent an official letter to the agency on July 17, voluntarily reporting the presence of nuclear material at an undeclared location, part of a legacy left by the previous administration.

An IAEA official also visited a site in Deir Ez-Zor in eastern Syria, where the agency previously suspected a nuclear reactor was located. Last year, the agency announced it had detected uranium particles at that location during a 2024 inspection. Israel acknowledged in 2018 that it had carried out a secret airstrike eleven years prior, targeting what it described as a nuclear reactor under construction.

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these materials do not represent a risk