The Syrian government said on July 17 that it is coordinating with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to address nuclear activities left over from the era of former President Bashir al-Assad, after the agency reported finding several tons of nuclear material at a previously undeclared site in Damascus.
Speaking at a press conference in Damascus, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi praised the "courageous" decision of the Syrian government to voluntarily declare the site. He said the material found is not dangerous and will be placed under international safeguards.
"We are talking about several tons of nuclear material that could be misused for malicious purposes," Grossi said, pledging that the material will be controlled according to international safety standards.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani confirmed: "On July 17, we sent an official letter to the IAEA, voluntarily declaring the presence of nuclear material at an undeclared site, part of the legacy left by the old regime."
According to a joint statement, IAEA inspectors visited two sites, one in Deir Az Zor and another related to the nuclear material that Syria recently identified. The material will remain under Syrian management, with safety commitments in place.
Syria is not known to have stockpiled nuclear material for a weapons program, but Israel bombed a suspected Syrian nuclear reactor in Deir Az Zor in 2007. Since Assad was ousted in late 2024, the new government has pledged to cooperate with the IAEA to address the legacy of decades of nuclear activity under the al-Assad family rule.
