IAEA Confirms Former Syrian Regime Operated Secret Nuclear Program

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed in a confidential report that the former Syrian government under Bashar al-Assad operated an undeclared nuclear program. Following inspections in August 2026, the agency determined that the Deir Ezzor site contained cooling infrastructure consistent with a gas-cooled, graphite-moderated nuclear reactor. This facility had been shut for 18 years after being destroyed by Israeli airstrikes in 2007, a mission Israel admitted to in 2018. The IAEA noted the reactor was likely developed with assistance from North Korea.

Beyond the reactor, the agency established that the former regime failed to report a fuel fabrication plant and a storage site for uranium scrap and waste. Current Syrian authorities recently notified the IAEA of a previously undisclosed site, where inspectors verified approximately 73 tonnes of natural uranium metal, including 55 tonnes of fuel rods.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani acknowledged the possession of nuclear materials and granted the IAEA access to the suspected sites. Director General Rafael Grossi praised the current government for its transparency and cooperation. The new Syrian authorities have expressed interest in establishing a civilian nuclear energy program and agreed to keep the discovered materials under international safeguards while remaining in Syrian custody.