IAEA Finds 73 Tons of Uranium at Secret Syrian Nuclear Site
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has concluded its investigation into Syria's past nuclear program under the Assad regime, announcing that all outstanding questions have been resolved. The agency praised the current Syrian government, led by President Bashar al-Assad, for its cooperation with inspectors.
In a classified report, parts of which were published by Reuters and AP, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi and a senior team of inspectors visited a secret site, the existence of which was only revealed to the agency in July. There, they discovered 73 tons of natural metallic uranium. This site may be the same facility, referred to as "Site 99," previously reported by Axios as being developed as part of the Assad regime's clandestine nuclear program and storing material from the Al-Kibar reactor, which Israel bombed in 2007.
According to previous reports, the US mediated an agreement for the nuclear material at the site to be removed due to Israeli concerns. However, Syria's Foreign Minister at the time stated the material would remain for "peaceful purposes." While the material found, described as "yellowcake" and natural uranium metal, cannot be used for nuclear weapons, it could potentially be used to create a "dirty bomb." Israeli officials stated that the IDF bombed the entrances to the site after the fall of the Assad regime in late 2024 to prevent access, and Jerusalem had informed the Trump administration of its opposition to the material remaining there.
The IAEA report confirmed that the Al-Kibar facility, bombed by Israel in 2007, was indeed a nuclear reactor. Inspectors visited the site on August 28, after it had been intentionally destroyed by the Assad regime following the Israeli strike, and found cooling infrastructure consistent with a nuclear reactor. The IAEA stated that all the nuclear material found at the newly discovered site is now under the agency's containment and safeguards.
The agency lauded the current Syrian government for its "transparency and cooperation," which it said helped clarify past activities and remaining materials in the country. The IAEA's report noted that Syria provided the necessary information and access, allowing the agency to resolve previously reported outstanding safeguards issues to the Board of Governors. In a separate report, the IAEA stated it could not resolve outstanding questions regarding undeclared nuclear sites in Iran.
