UN report finds Syria was building a nuclear reactor in Deir el-Zour under former President Assad
A confidential UN report revealed that Syria was constructing a nuclear reactor in Deir el-Zour under the rule of former President Bashar Assad. This finding was based on a recent visit by International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors in August. The report stated that the Syrian authorities had failed to report the nuclear material, facilities, and activities as required by the NPT Safeguards Agreement.
The site in Deir el-Zour was only discovered after Israel's 2007 airstrikes that destroyed it. Syria subsequently demolished the site and did not fully cooperate with the IAEA's inquiries. IAEA took samples in 2024, which contained uranium particles. Following Assad's removal, Syria agreed to allow IAEA inspections of former nuclear sites.
The agency confirmed that the cooling infrastructure at the Deir el-Zour site was consistent with that of a nuclear reactor. Additionally, IAEA found a site containing natural uranium metal in the form of fuel rods with cladding, amounting to around 73 tonnes. This material is currently under IAEA containment and surveillance measures.
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