Syria says IAEA set to announce major progress on nuclear investigations

Tuesday 11 August 2026 - 17:00

By: Sahili Aya

Syria says IAEA set to announce major progress on nuclear investigations

Syria says a forthcoming visit by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will mark a significant step forward in efforts to clarify the country’s nuclear history.

The Syrian Atomic Energy Commission said Tuesday that an IAEA delegation is expected to arrive in Syria in the coming days and will announce what Damascus described as "significant progress" concerning nuclear materials. The commission did not provide details about the findings or specify what developments would be announced.

The statement comes as Syria’s new authorities seek to cooperate more closely with the UN nuclear watchdog following the end of Bashar al-Assad’s rule.

Damascus seeks greater cooperation with nuclear watchdog

Since Assad was removed from power in late 2024, Syria’s new authorities have pledged to work with the IAEA to address questions surrounding nuclear-related activities carried out during decades of Assad family rule.

The agency has been seeking clarification on past activities and facilities, particularly those associated with the country’s eastern region.

The upcoming visit could provide an important opportunity for inspectors and Syrian authorities to establish a clearer picture of what occurred at sites previously linked to suspected nuclear activity.

Deir al-Zor remains central to the investigation

Syria is not known to possess operating nuclear-material stockpiles for a weapons programme. Nevertheless, its nuclear history has remained under international scrutiny for years.

In 2007, Israel carried out an airstrike on a suspected nuclear reactor in Deir al-Zor, in eastern Syria. Israel subsequently acknowledged the operation and said the facility had been part of a covert nuclear effort.

The site has remained a focus of IAEA investigations.

The agency reported last year that inspectors had detected traces of uranium at one of three locations that were allegedly functionally connected to the Deir al-Zor site.

Those findings added another layer to the agency’s effort to determine the nature and extent of Syria’s past nuclear activities.

IAEA seeks fuller picture of Syria’s nuclear past

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said in June that the agency intended to resume further work in the area when security and other conditions permitted.

The objective, according to Grossi, is to establish a comprehensive understanding of Syria’s previous nuclear activities.

The planned delegation therefore comes at a potentially important moment for the investigation. However, the precise nature of the "significant progress" announced by Syrian authorities remains unclear until the IAEA provides further information.

A new chapter after the Assad era

The nuclear issue forms part of the broader effort by Syria’s post-Assad authorities to rebuild relations with international institutions.

Cooperation with the IAEA could help Damascus demonstrate greater transparency on sensitive nuclear matters while allowing the agency to pursue unresolved questions dating back years.

The coming visit will be closely watched for evidence that the two sides have made concrete progress in identifying nuclear materials, clarifying past activities and resolving outstanding questions surrounding the Deir al-Zor investigation.

For now, Syrian officials have offered few details, leaving the IAEA’s forthcoming announcement as the key indication of what has been achieved.