Syria Confirms Cooperation with IAEA and US on Secret Nuclear Site After Israeli Concerns

Syria has officially acknowledged cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the United States regarding nuclear materials left from the Assad regime. The announcement follows a dramatic revelation about a secret facility known as "Site 99," which stored radioactive material that raised serious security concerns in Israel. Damascus stated the goal is to fully reintegrate Syria into the IAEA and support peaceful nuclear applications such as health, nutrition, and scientific research. Due to Syria's limited technical capabilities, it has requested the establishment of an international committee to provide appropriate assistance. An IAEA delegation is expected to visit Syria soon to jointly announce significant progress in this area.

Sources indicate that the nuclear material at the site is insufficient for an atomic bomb but could be used to create a "dirty bomb" designed to disperse radioactive contamination. Israel's concern was so acute that immediately after the fall of Assad's regime, the Israel Defense Forces bombed the entrances to the site to prevent looting. Israel also issued a clear ultimatum to the US administration that it would not tolerate the retention of such materials in the new Syrian government. This ultimatum helped pave the way for the current agreement.

American officials revealed that the US leveraged its close relations with Syria's new government under Ahmad al-Sharaa to defuse the "dirty bomb" crisis and prevent escalation involving Israel, Syria, and Turkey. With Damascus now openly disclosing the situation, the remnants of Assad's destructive nuclear ambitions appear to be fading away.