IAEA Chief: Israeli-Bombed Syrian Reactor Could Produce Nuclear Weapons Material

The nuclear reactor attributed to Syria and destroyed by the Israeli Air Force in 2007 was capable of rapidly producing fissile material for nuclear armament, according to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi. A report circulated to member states and obtained by Reuters confirmed the agency's past assessment. Findings indicate the site attacked in the Deir ez-Zor province in eastern Syria was indeed a nuclear reactor under construction, with the necessary fuel produced within Syria. The Assad regime had an obligation to officially report this to the IAEA at the time, which it did not.

During the investigation, described by the agency as a historic breakthrough, approximately 73 metric tons of natural uranium metal were discovered, primarily intended as fuel for the reactor. Grossi stated at a press conference that the reactor was highly efficient in producing fissile material suitable for direct use in nuclear weapons, and its construction was nearly complete. He emphasized that the reactor posed a serious weapons threat, though he could not determine the regime's intentions at the time.

Since the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, the new Syrian government has committed to cooperating with the IAEA to provide answers regarding the oversight and monitoring of nuclear materials.