Syria Admits Possessing Nuclear Material, Agrees to IAEA Access After 18 Years

Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad announced alongside Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), that Syria will grant access to a site in Deir ez-Zor after more than 18 years. This announcement confirms the presence of nuclear material in Syria, linked to the remnants of the Al-Kibar nuclear reactor project bombed by Israel in 2007. Mekdad emphasized Syria's sovereign and legal right to use atomic energy for civilian purposes.

The disclosure follows reports that the Trump administration reached secret understandings with Israel and Syria for the IAEA to remove nuclear material stored at a secret Syrian site. U.S. and Israeli officials told Axios that the agreement was formed after months of behind-the-scenes negotiations aimed at securing the material and preventing potential conflict, including concerns about Turkish involvement.

The focal point is a facility known as "Site 99," monitored by Israel over the past two years. According to Israeli sources, the Assad regime stored nuclear material there related to the Al-Kibar reactor, including leftover nuclear substances from the 2007 Israeli airstrike. A senior U.S. official revealed that the site contains "yellowcake," a uranium ore powder used in nuclear fuel processing, along with other nuclear remnants.

While the material is not suitable for producing standard nuclear weapons, it could be used to create a "dirty bomb," a conventional explosive designed to disperse radioactive material. Israeli officials reportedly threatened to strike the site again if the material was not removed or if Syria attempted to access it. Ultimately, the U.S. and Israel decided to seek the consent of Syria's new government for the material's removal. Syrian authorities claimed they were unaware of the material's presence when confronted with the issue.