IAEA Inspectors Visit Former Syrian Nuclear Site Following Discovery of Material

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors have gained access to a site in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor region, the location of a clandestine facility destroyed by an Israeli airstrike in 2007. The visit follows the discovery of nuclear material at the site, which has now been placed under IAEA safeguards. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani stated that the material will remain in Syrian custody and asserted that it is intended for peaceful civilian use.

This development marks a significant shift in transparency for Syria, as the new government has begun allowing international inspections of previously restricted areas following the collapse of the Bashar Assad regime in 2024. IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi confirmed that Damascus proactively notified the agency of the findings. While the IAEA previously concluded in 2011 that the original facility was likely an undeclared nuclear reactor designed for plutonium production, current reports indicate that Syria is not known to possess an operational nuclear weapons stockpile.