IAEA reports progress in Syria investigation, none in Iran

The U.N. nuclear watchdog has resolved its outstanding questions in an investigation into secret nuclear activities in Syria under the Assad family's rule but made no progress in ‌Iran, it said on Tuesday in confidential reports seen by Reuters. One of the International Atomic ‌Energy Agency reports sent to member states ahead of next week's quarterly meeting of the IAEA's Board of Governors praised the new Syrian authorities for their "transparency and cooperation" in helping the agency get to the bottom of the ⁠past activities ​and remaining materials.

"The agency, ⁠having received the necessary information and access from Syria, ... has been able to clarify and resolve the agency's questions ⁠concerning the outstanding safeguards issues previously reported to the (IAEA) Board," it said. In 2007, Israel bombed an undeclared ​site that Tuesday's report confirmed was a Syrian nuclear reactor under construction in the country's ⁠eastern province of Deir al-Zor.

The IAEA also confirmed the presence of around 73 metric tons of natural uranium metal ⁠at ​a connected location, of which 55 tons were in the form of fuel rods, the report said. It added that Syria had been manufacturing fuel for the reactor, and ⁠the former authorities had failed to declare the facilities and material. A separate, quarterly IAEA report on Iran ⁠also sent to member ⁠states showed there had again been no progress in Iran, where its lack of access to verify uranium stocks since U.S. and Israeli attacks ‌in June ‌2025 remained a "proliferation concern".