IAEA and Syria Step Up Work to Resolve Nuclear Safeguards Questions

Syria submitted a declaration to the agency on July 17 concerning nuclear material found at a location that had not previously been declared.

Syria and the International Atomic Energy Agency have agreed on a series of verification steps intended to resolve questions surrounding previously undeclared nuclear-related activities linked to the country's former government, following what both sides described as their most significant period of cooperation on the issue so far.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi visited Syria on August 17 and 18, 2026, at the invitation of the Syrian government, holding talks with Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani and visiting Deir Ez-Zor as well as another location connected to nuclear material recently identified by Syrian authorities.

The visit gives inspectors greater access to sites and information needed to examine unresolved safeguards questions under Syria's Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Safeguards Agreement, while Syrian officials have pledged to continue providing access as verification work moves forward.

Syria pledges transparency over undeclared nuclear material

Al-Shaibani reaffirmed Syria's commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the full implementation of its safeguards agreement, stressing that the government had brought the recently identified nuclear material to the IAEA's attention on its own initiative.

Syria submitted a declaration to the agency on July 17 concerning nuclear material found at a location that had not previously been declared. The government has since provided information and access to inspectors, with both sides agreeing on practical measures for examining the material and determining how it should be brought under IAEA safeguards.

Syrian authorities have described the unresolved nuclear questions as part of an inherited file connected with activities conducted under the former regime. Al-Shaibani linked efforts to settle those issues with the broader changes taking place in Syria since December 2024, presenting transparency over nuclear material as part of the country's efforts to strengthen regional stability and security.

Grossi welcomed the level of cooperation provided by Syrian officials and also noted support from President Ahmed Al-Sharaa for the IAEA's verification activities.

Deir Ez-Zor excavation provides inspectors with new evidence

Grossi's visit to Deir Ez-Zor allowed him to observe excavation work being carried out by Syrian authorities and examine features relevant to the IAEA's assessment of nuclear-related activities previously conducted at the site.

The work at Deir Ez-Zor will continue according to a timetable and practical steps agreed between Syria and the agency, giving inspectors an opportunity to build a clearer picture of activities that have remained the subject of safeguards concerns.

Verification is also continuing at the second location associated with the nuclear material recently identified by Syria. Syrian authorities facilitated the initial inspection and have committed to supporting further verification so the material can eventually be placed fully under agency safeguards.

Al-Shaibani said Syria retains sovereign responsibility for all nuclear material within its territory and that the material remains in national custody. He also pledged that the country would handle it in accordance with Syria's international obligations and national interests.

IAEA findings expected to go before Board of Governors

Syria and the IAEA have now established concrete steps for completing inspections and addressing outstanding safeguards issues connected with activities carried out under the former government. Both sides have committed to completing the remaining work without delay.

Once the agreed inspections and verification activities are finished, Grossi is expected to present his findings and conclusions to the IAEA Board of Governors at the earliest possible opportunity. The matter could then be considered at an upcoming Board session, with both sides seeking a full resolution of the remaining safeguards questions.

The renewed relationship is also expected to extend beyond inspections. Syria and the IAEA have agreed to expand cooperation on peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology that could support the country's development priorities.

For Syria, resolving the safeguards file could close a difficult chapter associated with its previous government and establish a more transparent relationship with the international nuclear watchdog. For the IAEA, continued access to locations, nuclear material and relevant information will be central to determining what occurred and whether all material in Syria has been properly declared and placed under safeguards.