IAEA Confirms Israel Destroyed Undeclared Syrian Nuclear Reactor

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed the presence of tens of tons of undeclared natural metallic uranium in Syria, linked to a clandestine nuclear program under Bashar al-Assad's regime. This finding is detailed in a confidential IAEA report obtained by Reuters and Associated Press. The material was discovered at a previously undeclared site, the existence of which the new Syrian authorities disclosed to the IAEA on July 17. Damascus invited the agency to inspect the site and its nuclear materials. IAEA inspectors confirmed approximately 73 tons of natural metallic uranium, including 55 tons in fuel rod form, with the remainder as scrap and waste. All this material is now under IAEA control. Syrian authorities stated the uranium will remain in the country.

The investigation has allowed the IAEA to reconstruct a broader picture of Syria's secret nuclear activities. The agency determined that under the former regime, Syria operated a nuclear reactor under construction in Deir ez-Zor, a fuel production facility, and a storage site. Fuel for the reactor was produced domestically. Additionally, several other sites were functionally linked to the reactor, including one for uranium conversion and/or fuel production, and others for temporary storage. The IAEA report also indicated plans for nuclear fuel reprocessing at one of these facilities. In August 2026, inspectors examined excavated cooling infrastructure at the Deir ez-Zor site, concluding it is consistent with a nuclear reactor's cooling system.

The IAEA has now officially established that the Assad regime failed to declare nuclear materials, facilities, and activities as required by the Non-Proliferation Treaty's safeguards agreement. The report highlights the "transparency and cooperation" of the new Syrian authorities since the regime's fall, noting their provision of access, information, documents, and material accounting reports, which has helped the IAEA resolve long-standing questions.

These findings hold particular significance for Israel, relating to a nuclear facility destroyed by the Israeli Air Force on September 6, 2007, in an operation codenamed "Outside the Box." Israel had concluded the site was a covertly constructed nuclear reactor, reportedly with North Korean assistance. Israel officially acknowledged responsibility for the strike only in 2018. Following the strike, Syrian authorities razed the remnants of the structure, and Damascus denied having a secret nuclear program, providing evasive answers to the IAEA for years. Although the IAEA concluded in 2011 that the destroyed facility was "highly likely" an undeclared nuclear reactor, a definitive reconstruction was not possible until inspectors gained access after the regime change.

In 2024, IAEA took samples at the site that revealed uranium particles. Now, almost 19 years after the Israeli airstrike, the IAEA's conclusions effectively validate Israel's action, confirming that it destroyed a constructed, undeclared nuclear reactor, not merely a suspected facility.