Israel and US Secure Secret Deal to Remove Nuclear Material from Syria

About three weeks ago, Israel, the United States, and Syria reached a confidential agreement for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to soon remove nuclear material stored at a secret Syrian site known as "Site 99." This site held remnants of nuclear material from a reactor bombed by Israel in 2007. Although the material was insufficient for producing a standard nuclear weapon, it could have been used to create a dirty bomb dispersing radioactive substances.

According to American and Israeli sources, Israel and the US engaged in discussions on this issue for over a year. During this period, Israel threatened to bomb the site if the material was not removed or if Syria attempted to access it. The agreement was finalized after Israel detected suspicious activity near the site a few weeks prior, suggesting Syrian efforts to retrieve the material, possibly with Turkish assistance.

Following these developments, the Syrian regime agreed to the removal of the material through the IAEA. The secret deal was signed after more than a year of talks between Israel and the US. Israel made clear it would strike the site if the material was not evacuated or if signs emerged of Syrian attempts to access it.

Charles Lister, a researcher at the Middle East Institute, told Axios that Syria's new government is eager to resolve sensitive issues inherited from the Assad regime, including its nuclear and chemical weapons programs, which could harm its efforts to restore its international standing.