IAEA and Syria hail progress on resolving Assad's nuclear secrets

Syria and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have made significant strides in resolving nuclear safeguarding concerns stemming from the Assad regime, according to Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shibani and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi. This progress was reported during a press conference at Tishreen Palace in Damascus at the conclusion of Grossi's two-day visit to Syria.

The visit encompassed a site in Deir Ezzor and a second location associated with nuclear material identified recently by Syria, though the latter location remains undisclosed. According to Shibani, Syria took the proactive step of notifying the IAEA about these issues, driven by a commitment to transparency and a desire to showcase the country as a bastion of regional stability and security.

For the first time in nearly two decades, Syria granted access to a previously undisclosed nuclear facility in the eastern Deir Ezzor region, reaffirming its sovereign rights to utilize nuclear energy for civilian and peaceful purposes, including energy, health, and water management. The Assad regime is believed to have stored nuclear material intended for the incomplete Al Kibar nuclear reactor project at Site 99.

This facility, located in Deir Ezzor, was targeted by an Israeli airstrike in 2007, resulting in extensive damage and effectively halting Syria's nuclear program. Shibani emphasized that the efforts are aimed at addressing the legacy of the ousted regime's nuclear activities, while the new Syria seeks cooperation with the international community on peaceful nuclear endeavors.

The IAEA, which has been collaborating with Syria for over a year and a half, stated that the country has "regained its place in the international community as a state fully complying with all its legal obligations on nuclear non-proliferation." Unlike the previous regime, which showed no cooperation in this matter, Syria is committed to upholding its international obligations and national interests regarding nuclear matters.

The agency began investigating Syria's undeclared nuclear activities in 2008, following the receipt of information about the Deir Ezzor facility. In 2011, the IAEA concluded that the site was almost certainly a nuclear reactor and determined that Syria was in violation of its safeguards obligations at that time.