Syria Acknowledges Possession of Nuclear Material Under International Supervision

For the first time, Syria has officially acknowledged possessing nuclear material, stating it will remain under Syrian control but subject to international safeguards. Syrian Foreign Minister emphasized that the materials will be stored securely under the supervision and guarantees of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Damascus affirmed its right to use nuclear energy for civilian and peaceful purposes.

This announcement follows an airstrike attributed to Israel at the Abu al-Duhur military airport in Idlib province, which damaged a runway and abandoned warehouses but caused no casualties. Syrian sources reported the strike occurred a day after a Turkish military delegation visited the site to assess its rehabilitation and potential conversion into a joint Syrian-Turkish base. The Syrian Foreign Ministry condemned the strike as an unjustified aggression and blatant violation of Syria's sovereignty.

U.S. envoy to Syria Tom Barrett sharply criticized the attack, calling it an unnecessary escalation and urging all parties to prioritize dialogue, noting the current Syrian government’s willingness to reduce tensions. Conversely, a senior Israeli official told Fox News that highly sensitive intelligence was shared with the U.S. in advance, suggesting that the current Syrian leadership under al-Shaar lacks the proxy capabilities of the previous regime and may have been unaware of the strike.