IAEA Uncovers Syria’s Secret Nuclear Program

The nuclear reactor in Syria destroyed by Israeli aircraft in 2007 was capable of rapidly producing fissile material for nuclear weapons, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said on Monday.

The agency described its investigation into covert activities under the Assad family’s rule as a historic breakthrough. It uncovered approximately 73 metric tons of natural uranium, mostly in the form of reactor fuel.

In a report to member states, the IAEA confirmed that the bombed site in the province of Deir ez-Zor was a reactor under construction and that its fuel originated in Syria. The country should have disclosed these facts to the agency at the time.

Grossi stressed that the nearly completed reactor raised very serious concerns about nuclear weapons proliferation, although the intentions of the Syrian authorities at the time cannot be judged in hindsight.

Following the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, Syria’s new authorities committed to fully cooperating with the IAEA to clarify outstanding issues related to nuclear safeguards. Grossi recently praised the new administration’s approach and its transparency to date.

(Reuters, max)