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Syria declares tonnes of nuclear material found at Assad-era site, IAEA confirms
🇮🇪 Ireland /Energy & Infrastructure

Syria declares tonnes of nuclear material found at Assad-era site, IAEA confirms

From RTÉ News · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Syria has declared the presence of several tons of nuclear material at an undeclared site dating back to the Assad era.
  • The UN's nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, confirmed the discovery and stated the material will be placed under international safeguards.
  • Inspectors also visited a suspected former nuclear reactor site in Deir Ezzor, which Israel admitted to striking in 2011.

Syria has declared the discovery of several tons of nuclear material at a previously undeclared site, prompting confirmation from the UN's atomic watchdog. Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), praised Syria's "courageous decision" to report the legacy site, which dates back to the Assad era. The material will now be placed under international safeguards to prevent misuse.

We are talking about a few tons of nuclear material that could be put to bad use.

— Rafael GrossiThe IAEA Director General described the quantity and potential risk of the nuclear material found.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani stated that the country officially notified the IAEA on July 17 about the presence of nuclear materials at the site, which was a "legacy left by the former regime." He added that technical assessments indicate the materials pose no immediate risk and will remain under Syrian custody, subject to IAEA safeguards. Grossi confirmed that Syrian and IAEA experts will collaborate on the safe storage of the materials, signaling a potential step toward transparency.

On 17 July, we sent an official letter to the agency, in which we declared of our own free will the presence of nuclear materials at an undeclared site within the legacy left by the former regime.

— Asaad al-ShaibaniSyria's Foreign Minister detailed the official notification process to the IAEA.

In addition to the newly declared site, Grossi also visited a location in Deir Ezzor, eastern Syria. This site, shut down 18 years ago, has long been suspected by the IAEA of housing a nuclear reactor. Israel previously admitted to conducting a top-secret airstrike on the Al-Kibar facility, also known as Site 99, in 2011. The IAEA had previously discovered uranium particles at this site during a 2024 inspection, validating its long-held assessment that a secret nuclear facility was under construction. The recent visit and declarations come amid reports of an agreement between the US, IAEA, Syria, and Israel regarding the removal of nuclear material from the clandestine site.

We are starting to turn a page, and turning a page does not mean forgetting the past.

— Rafael GrossiThe IAEA Director General commented on the significance of the declaration and future cooperation.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by RTÉ News in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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