Journalist Amichai Stein reports that Syria holds approximately 50 tons of unenriched uranium — a significant quantity — and is demanding the right to develop a civilian nuclear program comparable to those of Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. Damascus states that all nuclear materials and infrastructure will remain under Syrian control but be subject to close IAEA supervision.
Journalist Amichai Stein reports that Syria holds approximately 50 tons of unenriched uranium — a significant quantity that adds precision to the scale of Syria's nuclear holdings. Damascus is demanding the right to develop a civilian nuclear program comparable to those of Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, and states that all nuclear materials and infrastructure will remain under Syrian control but subject to close IAEA supervision.
The new detail follows a rapid sequence of developments earlier today. At 18:19 Jerusalem, Stein reported that the Syrian government is demanding a civilian nuclear program and warning that existing nuclear material could pose a 'dirty bomb' risk amid the country's instability. At 20:00 Jerusalem, Syrian Foreign Minister Asad al-Sheibani, alongside IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, confirmed that Syria possesses nuclear material and has opened the Deir ez-Zor nuclear site to IAEA inspectors for the first time in over 18 years. Grossi stated the material amounts to several tons and warned of potential misuse. The new figure of 50 tons of unenriched uranium now provides a clearer picture of the stockpile's magnitude.
The IAEA's expanded role in overseeing Syrian nuclear material comes against the backdrop of multiple regional nuclear proliferation challenges. As The Zioneer has reported, Iran has taken steps to shield a near-weapons-grade uranium stockpile, and the United States has signed a civilian nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia that enables uranium enrichment on Saudi soil. Israeli officials have previously characterized Saudi enrichment as a 'red line', and the emergence of a Syrian nuclear program under IAEA supervision introduces a further layer of complexity for Israeli security assessments.
It remains unclear whether the 50 tons represent the entirety of Syria's unenriched uranium holdings or if additional quantities exist at other sites. The timeline for IAEA inspections and the removal or containment of the material — particularly in light of Syria's demand for a civilian program — has yet to be detailed.
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