IAEA Reports Syria's Nuclear Reactor Configured for Weapons Production

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reported that Syria’s nuclear facility, established during the Assad era, was configured to produce material potentially usable in nuclear weapons. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi stated at a media conference in Vienna on Monday that the reactor could efficiently produce fissile material directly applicable for nuclear weapon fabrication. This statement followed a confidential report from the UN watchdog, which detailed visits to several sites in Syria in August for verification purposes. The IAEA confirmed that the cooling infrastructure uncovered at the Deir Az Zor site aligns with that of a nuclear reactor. The agency plans to continue monitoring the site as excavation work progresses. Syria had previously operated an extensive, undeclared nuclear program under former President Bashar al-Assad, which included a reactor built by North Korea in Deir Az Zor. This information became public after Israeli air strikes destroyed the facility in 2007. Grossi noted that IAEA inspectors faced challenges during their inspection, having to navigate difficult passages to access hidden nuclear material. He emphasized that this material is now under IAEA safeguards, with cameras installed at the site. The IAEA has indicated that the former Syrian authorities did not report nuclear materials, facilities, and activities. In addition to the Deir Az Zor reactor, the IAEA identified a fuel fabrication plant and a storage site for nuclear fuel and waste. During the recent visit, the IAEA team also inspected a previously undeclared site, which the new Syrian administration reported to the agency in July, inviting inspectors to investigate.