Syria's nuclear reactor from the Assad era was configured to produce material that could potentially be used in nuclear weapons, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported on Monday.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told a press conference in Vienna that the reactor at Deir Az Zor would have been capable of producing fissile material that could be used directly for the fabrication of nuclear weapons.

The statement came a week after the UN watchdog revealed in a confidential report that it had visited several sites in Syria in August and carried out verification work. Based on observations at the Deir Az Zor site, the agency confirmed that the cooling infrastructure uncovered is consistent with that of a nuclear reactor.

Grossi described the challenging conditions inspectors faced, including having to "tear down walls" and navigate "very difficult and narrow passages" to reach hidden nuclear material. He noted that the material is now under IAEA safeguards, with cameras installed at the site.

Syria was believed to have operated an extensive, undeclared nuclear program under former President Bashar al-Assad, including a reactor built by North Korea. The facility was destroyed by Israeli airstrikes in 2007, and Syria later razed the site without fully cooperating with IAEA investigations.

The IAEA also identified a fuel fabrication plant and storage facilities for uranium scrap and waste. The new Syrian administration, which overthrew Assad in 2024, notified the agency of a previously undeclared site and invited inspectors to investigate, signaling a shift toward cooperation.

Source: www.aljazeera.com