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IAEA Says Syria Reactor Could Have Produced Weapons Material
The IAEA is a group that checks how countries use nuclear materials.
It confirmed that Syria was building a nuclear reactor before Israeli jets destroyed it in 2007.
The reactor was almost finished.
Rafael Grossi said it could have made material useful for nuclear weapons.
The IAEA also found that Syria had made fuel for the reactor.
Syria was supposed to tell the agency about these activities.
The agency said the reactor created a serious concern about the spread of nuclear weapons.
Syria’s newer authorities have allowed inspectors to investigate and answer questions about the past.
The IAEA confirmed that a bombed site in Syria’s Deir al-Zor province was a nuclear reactor under construction.
The reactor was nearly completed when Israeli jets destroyed it in 2007.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said the reactor could have quickly produced fissile material usable in nuclear weapons.
The agency said Syria had produced fuel for the reactor and should have declared the activities to the IAEA.
Since Bashar al-Assad’s ouster in late 2024, Syria’s new authorities have cooperated with the IAEA on past nuclear safeguards questions.
- Who
- The International Atomic Energy Agency, led by Rafael Grossi, and Syria’s authorities are involved; Israeli jets destroyed the site.
- What
- The IAEA confirmed that a nearly completed Syrian reactor could have produced fissile material usable in nuclear weapons.
- Where
- The site was in Syria’s eastern Deir al-Zor province.
- When
- The reactor was destroyed in 2007; Syria’s new authorities began cooperating with the IAEA after Bashar al-Assad’s ouster in late 2024.
- Why
- The reactor and related nuclear activities raised proliferation concerns because they were not declared to the IAEA and could have produced weapons material.
Key facts
- Agency
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
- Site
- Nuclear reactor under construction in Syria’s Deir al-Zor province
- Destruction
- Israeli jets destroyed the reactor in 2007
- Weapons concern
- The reactor could quickly produce fissile material usable in nuclear weapons
- Uranium found
- Around 73 metric tons of natural uranium metal, mainly in reactor-fuel form
- Syrian cooperation
- Syria’s new authorities provided access and information to the IAEA after late 2024
- IAEA conclusion
- The agency said outstanding safeguards questions about Syria’s past nuclear activities had been resolved
Quotes
Rafael Grossi
Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency
“I welcome Syria’s transparency and cooperation with the Agency which facilitates the resolution of the outstanding safeguards issues related to Syria’s past nuclear activities”
theprint.in
“This is a reactor that is very efficient in the production of fissile material that could be used directly for the fabrication of nuclear weapons”
theprint.in
Sources
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