International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors have discovered several tonnes of nuclear material at a previously undeclared site in Syria, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi announced Tuesday in Damascus. The material dates from the country's previous government and could have been misused, Grossi said at a joint press conference with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani.
The transitional government alerted the IAEA to the location in an official letter on July 17, al-Shibani said. An inspection team has since visited the site and collected the necessary samples. The material will remain in Dayr az-Zawr and be secured safely, Grossi added.
The discovery follows the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024.