Syria grants IAEA access to Deir ez-Zor site for 1st time in 18 years

Syria has granted the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) access to a site in the northeastern province of Deir ez-Zor for the first time since 2008, when agency personnel visited the site, Anadolu reports.

At a joint press conference with IAEA chief Rafael Grossi in Damascus, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani said cooperation between Syria and the IAEA had now reached an advanced stage.

According to al-Shaibani, Syria’s approach to the nuclear file is based on transparency.

Regarding nuclear activities, Damascus is dealing with the legacy of the former regime, he said, adding that what he described as the “new Syria” seeks cooperation with the international community.

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Grossi, for his part, voiced gratitude to the Syrian authorities under President Ahmed al-Sharaa for their commitment to working with the IAEA.

Joint efforts, Grossi said, will ensure that Syria’s nuclear activities are no longer associated with nuclear weapons.

He also claimed that nuclear material dating back to the former regime had been found at a site in Deir ez-Zor.

The IAEA, Grossi said, will keep an inventory of these materials and ensure that they are safely stored.

​​​​​​​Former President Bashar al-Assad, who ruled Syria for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia in late 2024, ending the country’s decades-long rule by the Baath Party.

A transitional government led by al-Sharaa was established in early 2025.

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