US Brokers Deal to Remove Syrian Nuclear Materials

The Government of the United States brokered a diplomatic agreement between the new Syrian government, Israel, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to remove radioactive materials from a clandestine facility known as Site 99. The site contains yellowcake and residues from the Al-Kibar reactor project, which Israel destroyed in 2007. While the materials are unsuitable for nuclear warheads, officials warned they could be used to construct a "dirty bomb."

The deal follows a year of strategizing by the Trump administration and the Israeli Prime Minister's Office to neutralize the site. Tensions peaked after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, when Israel bombed the facility's entrances and threatened further strikes to prevent Syrian or Turkish personnel from retrieving the materials. Negotiations accelerated after Israel detected recent movements near the site.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa's government cooperated with the removal process despite initially claiming ignorance of the stockpiles. The IAEA signed an accord with the Syrian authorities three weeks ago to coordinate the extraction and supervise inspections. US officials stated that the removal process is expected to be completed before the end of 2026. This diplomatic effort coincides with a separate agreement between Russia and Syria to restructure Moscow's military presence at the Tartus port and Hmeimim Air Base.