Story perspectives

IAEA confirms Syria holds several tons of nuclear material

8/19/2026

Summary

Syria Secures Material

Syria’s foreign minister Asaad al-Shaibani said IAEA inspectors found several tons of nuclear material.
On 17 July Syria wrote that the material will stay in Syrian custody under IAEA safeguards.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi praised Damascus’s decision to report the site and pledged safeguards.
Inspectors sampled the Al-Kibar site in Deir ez-Zor and a second facility near Damascus.
Grossi warned the material could be misused, for example in a dirty bomb.

Summary

IAEA Submits Report

IAEA Director General said a report on Syrian inspections will be submitted to Board of Governors at its next session, with President Ahmed al-Sharaa supporting verification.
Inspectors found yellowcake uranium ore concentrate and Al-Kibar remnants at Site 99 and set a logistics plan to extract and secure the stockpile under safety protocols.
The Syrian Atomic Energy Commission pledged to address the nuclear legacy while expanding peaceful uses in energy, health, water.

History

Historical Context

On 6 September 2007 Israel’s Operation Orchard destroyed the Al-Kibar facility in Deir ez-Zor, prompting UN demands for an IAEA probe. The agency later identified 80 uranium particles and, in April 2011, confirmed the site was a covert reactor. In 2024, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi and Syrian minister Asaad al-Shaibani verified yellowcake at nearby Site 99, reviving those earlier concerns.

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Syria Secures Material

Syria’s foreign minister Asaad al-Shaibani said IAEA inspectors found several tons of nuclear material.
On 17 July Syria wrote that the material will stay in Syrian custody under IAEA safeguards.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi praised Damascus’s decision to report the site and pledged safeguards.
Inspectors sampled the Al-Kibar site in Deir ez-Zor and a second facility near Damascus.
Grossi warned the material could be misused, for example in a dirty bomb.

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