Syria Places 73 Tonnes of Uranium Under IAEA Safeguards

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani recently announced that Damascus has placed 73 tonnes of natural uranium under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) supervision, marking the closure of Syria's 15-year nuclear non-compliance file and the beginning of renewed cooperation with the watchdog.

According to the Syrian state news agency SANA, al-Shaibani told the IAEA General Conference via video that the Board of Governors unanimously decided on September 9 to close Syria's nuclear file. The file had remained open since 2011. He noted that Damascus sent an official letter to the IAEA on July 17 disclosing that it possessed nuclear material at an undeclared location, and subsequently signed a cooperation roadmap on July 29. He added that IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi visited the Deir ez-Zor nuclear facility on August 16 after nearly 20 years of closure.

According to the minister, Syrian and IAEA experts have begun removing reactor debris from under the reinforced concrete at the site. He also confirmed that Damascus provided the design information and inventory reports that the Atomic Energy Commission had been requesting since 2011. He said that despite limited resources, the Atomic Energy Commission resolved these issues within a few weeks.