IAEA finds nuclear material in Syria

[william]

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi says inspectors found “a few tons of nuclear material that could be put to bad use” at an undeclared site dating to the Assad era. The concern is not simply the material’s existence, but the risk of diversion, misuse or loss of control over nuclear material left from Syria’s clandestine program.

Grossi says it will be “accounted for” and placed under “international safeguards,” with Syrian and IAEA experts working to secure it. Grossi also visited Deir Ezzor, saying new excavation work “validates the longstanding evaluation of the IAEA that a nuclear facility was being built in secrecy.”

https://twitter.com/x/status/2089800750767411613

• The X post accurately reports IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi's announcement of discovering several tons of nuclear material, including natural uranium, at an undeclared Assad-era site in Syria, with plans to place it under international safeguards.
• Grossi's visit also confirmed excavation at Deir Ezzor, validating prior IAEA suspicions of a secret nuclear facility there—the site Israel destroyed in 2007 via Operation Orchard over North Korea-linked reactor concerns.
• This development stems from the post-Assad Syrian government's July 2026 declaration and cooperation with the IAEA, marking progress on resolving longstanding undeclared nuclear activities under the NPT safeguards agreement.