'Tons' of nuclear materials found at undisclosed Syrian site, IAEA chief says

JUST IN: IAEA chief Rafael Grossi says 'tons' of nuclear materials have been found at a previously undeclared site in Syria dating from the rule of the country's former authorities. Syria's foreign minister says the material is not dangerous.

Tons of nuclear material just turned up at a secret site in Syria.

That's from Rafael Grossi, the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog, speaking in Damascus today. His inspectors found several tons of nuclear materials at a previously undeclared site, left over from the Assad era. The government notified the agency, the agency got access, and now everyone's deciding what it means.

Syria's foreign minister, Asaad al-Shaibani, stood next to Grossi and said the material isn't dangerous, it stays in Syrian custody under IAEA guarantees, and Damascus has the right to use it for peaceful purposes. The new authorities have been cooperating with the agency since Assad fell in late 2024, so this looks more like housecleaning than a crisis.

But remember the history. Israel bombed a suspected Syrian reactor in Deir al-Zor back in 2007, and for years Damascus swore there was nothing to see. Turns out there were tons of it.

This is Angel Manalo, reporting for HIT.

Source Read the original reporting at france24.com