Syria Nuclear Material: Damascus Vows Retention Under IAEA

In an unprecedented official statement on Tuesday, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani confirmed that the Damascus regime possesses nuclear material and intends to retain it. The declaration came one week after Syria's Atomic Energy Authority first hinted at the existence of nuclear materials in the country.

"Nuclear material will remain in Syria's possession, subject to IAEA guarantees," al-Shaibani stated at a joint press conference with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi. The IAEA is the United Nations watchdog agency responsible for monitoring nuclear programs worldwide. "We emphasize Syria's right to use nuclear energy for civilian purposes and peaceful goals. We will work to provide the necessary conditions for safely handling and storing these materials," the foreign minister added.

The dramatic announcement comes against a backdrop of sharp security tensions. Overnight between Monday and Tuesday, an airstrike was reported on the runway of Abu al-Duhur military airport in Idlib province, approximately 70 kilometers from the Turkish border. Washington sources claimed Israel was behind the strike, while Jerusalem refrained from taking official responsibility.

According to reports published last week, the Trump administration reached confidential understandings with Israel and Syria under which the IAEA would remove nuclear material stored at a facility known as "Site 99." The site contains components of "yellowcake" - a substance extracted from uranium ore - alongside remnants from the al-Kibar reactor project that Israel bombed in 2007.

Syrian border (Michael Giladi / /Flash90)

In an unusual move, U.S. envoy to Syria Tom Barrack issued sharp criticism of strikes attributed to Israel. "We are very concerned that Israeli airstrikes at the Abu al-Duhur base constitute an unnecessary escalation that does not contribute to regional stability," he said. "The al-Sharaa government has not adopted an aggressive approach and is not operating proxy forces. In fact, it has repeatedly expressed a preference for de-escalating tensions with Israel."

Al-Sharaa is the leader of the current Syrian government, which came to power following the fall of the Assad regime.

Syria's Foreign Ministry responded sharply to the overnight strike, condemning it as "unjustified aggression and a blatant violation of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity." In an official statement, the ministry warned of "a dangerous escalation threatening security and stability in the region."

These developments follow President al-Sharaa's comments in an interview with Al Jazeera regarding the possibility of contacts with Israel. "We are avoiding confrontation with Israel and have no interest in it," he clarified. "We are working to achieve a security agreement with Israel, with the participation of a group of countries. If the security agreement with Israel succeeds, it will pave the way for comprehensive peace — without relinquishing Syria's rights in the occupied Golan."