Tonnes of nuclear material found at Syria site, IAEA says

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, announced that inspectors have discovered several tons of nuclear material in Syria at an undisclosed site. Grossi commended Damascus for its courageous decision to report the hidden site, which dates back to the Assad era, to the agency. The nuclear material, according to Grossi, could potentially be misused if left unaccounted for.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, Grossi clarified that the materials present no risk and will remain under Syrian custody and the IAEA's safeguards system. The materials will be stored safely, with Syrian and IAEA experts collaborating on the process. Grossi also visited another site in Deir Ezzor, which had been inactive for 18 years and was suspected of housing a nuclear reactor.

Israel had reportedly carried out a covert air strike against the site in 2018. Grossi's visit aimed to validate the IAEA's long-standing belief that a covert nuclear facility had been constructed in secrecy. The visit followed reports from Axios quoting US and Israeli officials, who stated that Washington and the IAEA had reached an agreement to have the watchdog remove nuclear material from a clandestine site in Syria after securing arrangements with Syria and Israel.

Israel reportedly monitors Site 99, where the Assad government allegedly stored nuclear material part of the Deir Ezzor project, also known as Al-Kibar, and threatened to bomb it.