IAEA: Syria's Secret Reactor Configured for Weapons

A secret nuclear reactor built in Syria under the former government of Bashar al-Assad was configured to produce fissile material for possible use in nuclear weapons, according to the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi announced the findings following inspections conducted last month at two sites in Syria, including the Deir ez-Zor facility and a previously undisclosed location. The new Syrian administration, which came to power after Assad's ouster in December 2024, cooperated with the IAEA, granting inspectors access to suspected former nuclear sites. Grossi stated that the reactor's design and technical characteristics indicated it was highly efficient in producing fissile material suitable for nuclear weapons fabrication. "This is a reactor that is very efficient in the production of fissile material that could be used directly for the fabrication of nuclear weapons," he told reporters. He added that building the reactor was a "very important step" and that it was "obvious that the previous government was pursuing a number of clandestine activities" and "didn't want the world to know what they were doing.