Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani announced that Damascus has placed 73 tons of natural uranium under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
He described it as a sign of the closure of Syria’s 15-year nuclear non-compliance file and the start of new cooperation with the watchdog. Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani announced that Damascus has placed 73 tons of natural uranium under IAEA safeguards.
The move was described as a major turning point that ends 15 years of non-compliance. According to the official news agency SANA, speaking via video to the IAEA General Conference, al-Shaibani said the Board of Governors unanimously decided on September 9 to close Syria’s nuclear file, which had been open since 2011.He said Damascus sent an official letter to the Agency on July 17, disclosing nuclear material at an undeclared site, ahead of signing a cooperation roadmap on July 29.He added that IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi visited the site on August 16, after nearly two decades of closure. Syrian and IAEA experts have begun removing reactor remnants from beneath reinforced concrete at the site.
The Foreign Minister said Damascus provided the design information and inventory reports requested by the Board since 2011. He noted that the Atomic Energy Commission resolved these issues within weeks despite limited resources.
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