Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), stated on Monday in Vienna that a secret facility in Syria, dating back to the regime of former President Bashar al-Assad, was configured for nuclear weapons. He emphasized that while he does not wish to make judgments about Syria’s intentions, the incomplete reactor was designed for efficiently producing material suitable for nuclear weapon manufacturing, according to reports from DPA.
The IAEA is currently cooperating with the Syrian government to investigate the nuclear program that existed under Assad. Recently, IAEA experts uncovered previously unknown stocks of uranium and nuclear fuel rods.
In 2007, Israel attacked and destroyed the site of a nearly completed nuclear reactor. By 2011, the IAEA’s chief had concluded that the facility at Dair Alzour bore similarities to a reactor in North Korea, a country known to possess nuclear arms. At that time, the IAEA had not explicitly stated whether the Syrian facility was appropriate for a military nuclear program.
The former Syrian regime denied any intentions of developing such capabilities. Bashar al-Assad was ousted from power in December 2024.
While the current Syrian government, led by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, has disclosed details about the former nuclear program, Iran has been obstructing cooperation with the IAEA for several months. IAEA experts have not received explanations concerning the purposes of Iran’s former nuclear facilities.
Grossi remarked that Syria and Iran represent different cases, noting Syria’s transparent approach which has aided in rebuilding relations with other nations. He suggested that this might serve as a lesson for others, particularly Tehran.
