IAEA Board Closes Longterm Investigation into Syrian Nuclear Program

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors passed a resolution by consensus on Wednesday to close its investigation into Syria's secret nuclear activities. The probe, which began in 2011, focused on clandestine activities conducted during the rule of Bashar al-Assad. The board stated that the new Syrian government, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa following the fall of Assad in December 2024, has provided the necessary cooperation and transparency to resolve all outstanding questions.

Inspectors recently visited key sites, including the Deir al-Zor complex that was bombed by Israel in 2007. The IAEA confirmed it was very likely that the site hosted a nuclear reactor. Director General Rafael Grossi stated that the previous regime's activities indicated intentions to develop a nuclear program for military purposes. The agency also discovered approximately 73 tonnes of natural uranium metal, much of it in the form of fuel rods, at a previously undeclared location. This material is now under IAEA oversight and will remain in Syria.

The resolution, which was submitted by Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia, terminates the 2011 finding that Syria was in non-compliance with its non-proliferation obligations. While the IAEA confirmed the existence of the reactor and fuel fabrication, some experts cited in reports suggest the goal may have been to produce plutonium for North Korea rather than a domestic weapons program. Moving forward, Syrian nuclear facilities will be subject to routine safeguards and controls.