Syrian Foreign Minister asserted that Syria has a legal and sovereign right to the civilian and peaceful use of nuclear energy, and stated there is no difference between Syria and Iran, according to The Zioneer.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani on Tuesday evening asserted Syria's sovereign right to civilian nuclear energy, explicitly equating his country's position to that of Iran. The statement, reported by The Zioneer, marks an escalation in Damascus's rhetorical push for international acceptance of its nuclear program, coming hours after a series of disclosures from the Syrian government.
The declaration follows a day of rapid developments. At 16:40 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that Syria holds approximately 50 tons of unenriched uranium and has opened the Deir ez-Zor nuclear site to IAEA inspectors for the first time in over 18 years. Earlier on Tuesday, Syria formally admitted possessing nuclear material for the first time, with al-Shibani stating the material is "not dangerous" and remains under IAEA restrictions. The regime under Ahmad al-Sharaa subsequently claimed the right to a civilian program comparable to Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. The new statement adds the Iran parallel, sharpening the sovereign-rights frame.
The developments come amid heightened regional focus on nuclear proliferation, as The Zioneer has reported the US is advancing a civilian nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia, and China has expressed support for Iran's nuclear sovereignty. The Syrian government has positioned itself as seeking transparency by allowing IAEA access to the Deir ez-Zor site, while insisting on its right to peaceful atomic energy.
It remains unclear whether the IAEA has independently verified the quantity of material at Deir ez-Zor or its safety classification. The Syrian FM's direct comparison to Iran—which is under international scrutiny over its nuclear program—raises questions about whether Damascus is seeking a status analogous to Tehran's, and how the international community will respond.
8 developments
- StrongSyrian president al-Sharaa calls for Arab policy independent of Israel and Iran
- DevelopingSyrian foreign minister calls for immediate Israeli withdrawal from Syria
- StrongMacron: Syria must be fully sovereign, all foreign forces must leave
- DevelopingIran's UN mission claims legal rights stripped, accuses US and Israel of attacks on civilian nuclear sites
Source and signal
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