The board of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog voted unanimously on Wednesday to close its long-running investigation into Syria’s past secret nuclear activities, ending an inquiry that began nearly two decades ago. The resolution, adopted by consensus at the International Atomic Energy Agency’s headquarters in Vienna, credited Syria’s post-Assad government with resolving all outstanding safeguards questions.
What did the IAEA investigation find in Syria?
The IAEA’s inquiry centered on a suspected reactor at Deir al-Zor that inspectors concluded had been configured to produce fissile material potentially usable in nuclear weapons, along with roughly 73 tons of uranium that is now under agency oversight. The site was destroyed in a 2007 airstrike widely attributed to Israel, but Syria under Bashar Assad refused for years to grant IAEA inspectors access or answer questions about the program.
After Assad was removed from power in December 2024, Syria’s new authorities agreed to let IAEA inspectors visit suspected former nuclear sites. Agency Director General Rafael Grossi told the board that inspectors visited two sites last month, one in Deir Ezzor and a second at an undisclosed location identified by Syrian officials, calling it a breakthrough in the safeguards case.
Who brought the resolution to close the case?
The measure was submitted by Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Saudi Arabia and welcomed what it called the transparency and cooperation of the Syrian Arab Republic in resolving its noncompliance. Diplomats described applause inside the board room when the 35-member board adopted the resolution, formally removing the item from the agency’s agenda after almost twenty years.
Sources: The Washington Post · The Times of Israel · IAEA
