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Akbar Novruz

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The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed that Syria attempted to construct a nuclear reactor at a site in the eastern province of Deir Az Zor under ousted President Bashar al-Assad.

In a confidential report circulated to member states and seen by news agencies on Tuesday, the UN nuclear watchdog said its inspectors visited several sites in Syria in August and carried out verification activities.

Based on observations at the Deir Az Zor site, the IAEA said it had confirmed that “the cooling infrastructure which has now been uncovered is consistent with that of a nuclear reactor.”

The agency said it would continue monitoring activities at the site as excavation work progresses.

Syria had previously been suspected of operating an undeclared nuclear programme under al-Assad, including a reactor reportedly constructed with North Korean assistance at Deir Az Zor.

The facility became publicly known after Israel carried out an air strike against the site in 2007, destroying the suspected reactor. Syria subsequently levelled the site and did not provide full answers to the IAEA regarding the facility and the wider questions surrounding its nuclear activities.

The IAEA has for years sought clarification from Damascus over the nature and purpose of the Deir Az Zor facility as part of its investigation into Syria’s undeclared nuclear activities.

Following al-Assad’s removal from power in December 2024, Syria’s new authorities agreed to allow IAEA inspectors access to suspected former nuclear sites, opening the way for renewed verification efforts.

The latest findings could provide further evidence for the IAEA’s long-running assessment of Syria’s nuclear activities under the previous government.

Israel, meanwhile, is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, although it maintains a policy of nuclear ambiguity and neither confirms nor denies having an atomic arsenal. It is generally regarded as the only state in the Middle East believed to possess nuclear weapons.