Syria’s Assad-era reactor configured for nuclear weapons: IAEA

UN watchdog says material now is under IAEA safeguards.

Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani (R) at a media conference in Damascus with Rafael Grossi from the IAEA (File: EPA)

Syria’s Assad-era nuclear facility was configured to produce material for possible use in nuclear weapons, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency has reported.

The nuclear reactor, which the United Nations nuclear watchdog has been investigating with the cooperation of Syria’s new authorities, would have been able to produce fissile material that could be used for weapons, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told a media conference in Vienna on Monday.

“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 said.

Grossi’s comments 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 said it confirms “that the cooling infrastructure which has now been uncovered is consistent with that of a nuclear reactor”.

The agency added that it would continue to monitor the activities at the site “as the excavation work progresses”.

Syria was believed to have operated an extensive, undeclared nuclear programme under former President Bashar al-Assad that included a nuclear reactor built by North Korea in Deir Az Zor.

It only became public knowledge after Israeli air strikes in 2007 destroyed the facility. Syria later levelled the site and never responded fully to the IAEA’s questions about it.

Grossi said when the inspectors visited the site in August they had to “tear down walls” and go through “very difficult and narrow passages” to reach the nuclear material that had been hidden. The site had “boxes scattered all over the place,” he said.

Grossi said that “the important thing is that this material now is under safeguards” of the IAEA, adding that agency inspectors had managed to install cameras there.

Israel is believed to have its own undeclared atomic weapons programme, which makes it the only nuclear armed country in the Middle East. Israel neither confirms nor denies having nuclear weapons.

The IAEA has said that the former Syrian authorities had failed to report nuclear material, facilities and activities.

Besides the nuclear reactor at Deir Az Zor, the IAEA listed a fuel fabrication plant, where nuclear fuel for the reactor was manufactured and a store for the nuclear fuel, uranium scrap and waste.

During the visit to Syria last month, an IAEA team also visited a previously undeclared site.

The Syrian administration – made up of the group that overthrew Assad in 2024 – notified the agency of its existence in July and invited the nuclear inspectors to investigate.

联合国监督机构称，这些材料目前受到国际原子能机构的保障监督。

叙利亚外交部长阿萨德·沙伊巴尼（右）在大马士革与国际原子能机构的拉斐尔·格罗西举行新闻发布会（图片来源：EPA）

国际原子能机构负责人报告称，叙利亚阿萨德时代的核设施被设计用于生产可能用于制造核武器的材料。

国际原子能机构总干事拉斐尔·格罗西周一在维也纳举行的新闻发布会上表示，联合国核监督机构一直在与叙利亚新当局合作调查的这座核反应堆，能够生产可用于制造武器的裂变材料。

他说：“这是一个生产裂变材料的效率非常高的反应堆，这些裂变材料可以直接用于制造核武器。”

格罗西发表上述评论一周前，联合国监督机构在一份机密报告中透露，该机构于 8 月份访问了叙利亚的几个地点并开展了核查工作。

该机构根据在代尔祖尔遗址的观察结果表示，已确认“目前发现的冷却基础设施与核反应堆的冷却基础设施相符”。

该机构补充说，随着挖掘工作的进行，它将继续监测现场的活动。

据信，叙利亚在前总统巴沙尔·阿萨德统治时期开展了一项规模庞大但未公开的核计划，其中包括朝鲜在代尔祖尔建造的核反应堆。

直到2007年以色列空袭摧毁该设施后，此事才公之于众。叙利亚后来夷平了该遗址，并且从未对国际原子能机构就此提出的问题作出全面回应。

格罗西说，检查人员8月份到访该地点时，不得不“拆墙”，穿过“非常狭窄难行的通道”才能找到隐藏的核材料。他还说，现场“到处散落着箱子”。

格罗西表示，“重要的是，这些材料现在受到国际原子能机构的监管”，并补充说，该机构的检查人员已经设法在那里安装了摄像头。

据信以色列拥有未公开的核武器计划，这使其成为中东地区唯一拥有核武器的国家。以色列既不承认也不否认拥有核武器。

国际原子能机构表示，叙利亚前当局未能报告核材料、设施和活动。

除了代尔祖尔核反应堆外，国际原子能机构还列出了一座燃料制造厂（用于制造反应堆所需的核燃料）以及一座用于储存核燃料、铀废料和废物的仓库。

上个月访问叙利亚期间，国际原子能机构的一个小组还访问了一个此前未申报的地点。

叙利亚政府（由2024年推翻阿萨德政权的团体组成）于7月通知该机构其存在，并邀请核查人员进行调查。