Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conducted verification activities at multiple locations in Syria during August, according to a confidential report shared with member states and obtained by the Associated Press.
The UN nuclear watchdog concluded in its findings that previous Syrian authorities did not fully declare nuclear materials, facilities, and activities as required under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Safeguards Agreement.
Among the undeclared nuclear-related activities identified were a reactor under construction in Deir el-Zour, a fuel fabrication facility, and a site used for fuel storage during the administration of former President Bashar al-Assad.
Historical intelligence had long suggested that Syria maintained a significant undeclared nuclear program, including a reactor facility in eastern Deir el-Zour province constructed with assistance from North Korea.
The Deir el-Zour site first came to light following Israeli airstrikes in 2007 that targeted and destroyed the facility. Subsequently, Syrian authorities leveled the site and provided incomplete responses to IAEA inquiries regarding its operations.
IAEA inspectors collected environmental samples at the site in 2024, which revealed the presence of uranium particles in their subsequent analysis.
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