The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) found that Syria was developing a nuclear reactor under the leadership of former President Bashar Assad.
The report, viewed by the Associated Press, said that the IAEA is “able to establish that the former Syrian authorities had failed to report nuclear material, facilities and activities as required under the NPT Safeguards Agreement.”
Upon visiting the Deir el-Zour site to “monitor progress on the excavation work,” the IAEA noted, “Based on observations made at the location, the Agency confirms that the cooling infrastructure which has now been uncovered is consistent with that of a nuclear reactor.”
Other sites noted by the agency included a fuel fabrication plant and another location for fuel storage, according to the AP.
Syria notified the IAEA of the site in a July 17 letter, where it encouraged the agency to “cooperate with the Syrian authorities in the inspection and verification of the site and of any nuclear material to be potentially found.”
Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani told reporters, as per The Times of Israel that the materials “do not pose a risk” and will “remain in Syrian national custody and subject to the agency’s safeguards system.” He declared that Syria has the right to use nuclear energy “for civilian and peaceful purposes.”
Meanwhile, the IAEA earlier this year urged a separate Middle Eastern country to suspend its enrichment activities.
The agency directed Iran to “suspend all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development, as well as work on all heavy water-related projects, and to provide such access and cooperation as the IAEA requests to be able to verify the suspension, and Iran’s obligation, as set forth in UNSC resolution 1929 (2010) to comply fully and without qualification with its Safeguards Agreement, including through the application of modified Code 3.1 of the Subsidiary Arrangements to its Safeguards Agreement.”
