Syria Confirms Possession of Nuclear Material, Claims Right to Civilian Use

Following mysterious Israeli airstrikes in northern Syria, Syrian Foreign Minister Assad Hassan al-Shaybani publicly confirmed that Syria possesses nuclear material. Speaking at a press conference alongside Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), al-Shaybani stated that the material is under IAEA supervision and intended solely for peaceful purposes such as energy production.

Al-Shaybani emphasized Syria's right to use nuclear energy for civilian purposes and highlighted Damascus's voluntary cooperation by allowing IAEA access to a site in Deir ez-Zor. He also reiterated Syria's commitment to transparency and diplomatic efforts aimed at deterring further Israeli attacks.

This announcement comes about a week after the IAEA planned to remove uranium reportedly hidden in Syria since the Assad regime's earlier years. According to Axios, the agency intended to retrieve the material from a Syrian site, which Israel threatened to bomb to prevent its existence.

The recent Israeli strikes targeted a Syrian Air Force base near Tartus on the Mediterranean coast, focusing on runways and storage facilities, according to Arab media reports. The U.S. envoy to Syria and Lebanon, Tom Barrett, condemned the Israeli attack.

Syria's confirmation of nuclear material possession amid ongoing Israeli military actions underscores the heightened tensions in the region and the complex international efforts to monitor nuclear activities there.