IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi says inspectors discovered 'a few tons' of nuclear material at an undeclared site in Syria dating to the Assad era, warning the material could be diverted for 'bad use.' Grossi stated that the material will be 'accounted for' and placed under international safeguards with Syrian and IAEA experts working to secure it. He also said new excavation work at Deir Ezzor validates the agency's longstanding assessment that a secret nuclear facility was being built there.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi confirmed on Wednesday morning that inspectors discovered "a few tons" of nuclear material at an undeclared site in Syria dating to the Assad era, warning the material could be diverted for "bad use." Grossi also stated that new excavation work at Deir Ezzor validates the agency's longstanding assessment that a secret nuclear facility was being built there.
The development follows reports on Tuesday evening, Aug. 18, that the IAEA had discovered several tons of yellowcake uranium at a Syrian site, and that the new Syrian government had opened the Deir ez-Zor site to IAEA inspectors for the first time in years. Earlier in August, The Zioneer reported that the United States and the IAEA had brokered a secret deal with the Syrian government to extract nuclear material from Site 99 — the clandestine facility linked to the Al-Kibar reactor destroyed by Israel in 2007. The Zioneer also reported that the IDF had taken actions to secure the perimeter of the site after the collapse of the Assad regime.
Grossi emphasized that Syrian and international experts are now working to secure the material under IAEA safeguards, marking a shift from earlier uncertainty about the new government's cooperation. He stated that the material will be "accounted for" and placed under international supervision. The IAEA chief's visit to Deir Ezzor and his validation of the site's history aligns with the narrative that the site had been a repository for remnants of Syria's illicit nuclear program.
What remains open: Grossi did not specify the exact quantity or enrichment level of the material, nor did he name the site explicitly. The extent to which the material had been safeguarded before his announcement is also unclear. The physical removal of the material, which was the subject of the reported secret deal, has not yet been confirmed.
3 developments
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