Destroyed Syrian Nuclear Reactor May Have Had Capability to Produce Nuclear Weapons Material

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said on September 7 that a Syrian nuclear reactor, which was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in 2007 while it was nearly complete, was of a type capable of relatively quickly producing fissile material that could be used in nuclear weapons.

The IAEA recently concluded its investigation into Syria's past covert nuclear activities. The investigation found approximately 73 tons of natural uranium metal, primarily in the form of reactor fuel. In a report submitted to member states, the agency confirmed that its previous assessment remained unchanged: the destroyed facility in Deir ez-Zor Province in eastern Syria was a nuclear reactor under construction, and the associated fuel had also been manufactured within Syria. Under nuclear safeguards requirements, these activities should have been declared to the IAEA at the time.

Grossi told a press conference that the reactor was "highly efficient in producing fissile material that could be used directly in nuclear weapons," and noted that it was "almost complete" when destroyed. He also stated that this situation posed a serious nuclear proliferation concern, though it was not possible to determine Syria's true intentions at the time.

Following the change in the situation in Syria in late 2024, the new authorities committed to cooperating with the IAEA and responding to questions related to nuclear safeguards. Grossi told the IAEA Board of Governors, comprising 35 member states, that after obtaining the necessary access and information from Syria, the agency had been able to clarify and resolve outstanding safeguards issues related to Syria's past nuclear activities.

Grossi also stated that Syria's transparency and cooperation had helped facilitate the resolution of these issues.