UN Team Conducts First Inspection of Undeclared Nuclear Sites in Syria

Kathmandu: A United Nations team conducted its first-ever inspection this week of several undeclared nuclear sites in Syria that date back to the regime of Bashar al-Assad. The team, led by Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), examined the former Syrian nuclear facilities. This inspection follows a diplomatic agreement brokered between Syria and Israel during the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump. This marks the first occasion that the IAEA has gained full access to Syria’s suspicious nuclear sites.

The Assad government had secretly operated a nuclear program centered around the Al-Kibar reactor. In 2007, Israel bombed the reactor, effectively destroying most of the nuclear program. Since then, some research, development, and storage sites remained inactive. Following the fall of the Assad regime, the IAEA team negotiated with the new Syrian government and gained access to Al-Kibar and other related sites. For the past two years, Israel and the United States have closely monitored the site known as “Site-99.”

Two Israeli officials told Axios that the Assad government had stored nuclear materials associated with the Al-Kibar reactor project at that site. On Tuesday, during a press conference with Grossi, Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani announced that on July 17, Syria had formally informed the IAEA in writing about these nuclear materials. The Syrian government officially invited UN inspectors to visit the site. Grossi confirmed that IAEA inspectors toured the Al-Kibar reactor facility located in Deir ez-Zor.

Grossi and his team also inspected another undeclared location outside Damascus, where they discovered several tons of natural uranium metal stored. “We have agreed with the Syrian government to verify the undeclared material and place it under the Agency’s regular safeguards system,” Grossi stated after the inspection. He added that the process of compiling a complete inventory of all nuclear materials by the UN inspectors is still ongoing. Syrian Foreign Minister al-Shaibani assured that while certification is underway, these materials will remain under IAEA safeguards supervision. He also emphasized Syria’s commitment to exercising full responsibility for all nuclear materials within its territory.