“Where did Syria’s nuclear program go?”… The reactor was destroyed, but the uranium remained

Abu Dhabi, UAE – From the Deir ez-Zor reactor to 73 tons of natural uranium: How did the fall of Assad reopen the file on the Syrian nuclear program, and what secrets remain after 19 years since the Israeli raid? The Syrian nuclear program is no longer just a file of the past. After years of ambiguity, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that the facility destroyed by Israel in Deir ez-Zor in 2007 was indeed a nuclear reactor under construction. It also confirmed that other sites were linked to it and to fuel manufacturing and storage operations.

But the biggest surprise came at another Syrian site, where the agency verified the presence of approximately 73 tons of natural uranium, including about 55 tons in the form of fuel rods, and confirmed that the material is currently undergoing its containment and monitoring procedures. This raises the real question: if the Syrian nuclear reactor was destroyed, what happened to the rest of the project?

The Syrian nuclear program: The reactor was destroyed, but the story is not over.

In September 2007, an Israeli airstrike destroyed a secret site in the Deir ez-Zor region, a facility that had raised international suspicions about its nature. For years, the site remained the focus of investigations by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Subsequently, new findings confirmed that the structure uncovered at the site was consistent with that of a nuclear reactor. The IAEA stated that the previous Syrian authorities had failed to declare nuclear materials, facilities, and activities that they were required to report under the safeguards agreement. But the reactor was not the only nuclear facility.

Deir ez-Zor reactor… what was around it?

The international investigation revealed three other sites functionally linked to the Deir ez-Zor site. One was involved in fuel conversion or manufacturing operations. Another was used for storing construction materials, and a third was linked to the storage of materials transported to and from the reactor site, as well as plans for reprocessing. This detail changes the narrative. What existed in Deir ez-Zor was not simply an isolated building. It was part of a broader nuclear infrastructure that included fuel manufacturing and material storage.

Uranium in Syria: Where did the 73 tons appear?

During recent verification operations, the new Syrian authorities disclosed to the IAEA a previously undeclared site. According to the IAEA report, the site contained metallic natural uranium in the form of coated fuel rods. The IAEA was able to verify the presence of approximately 73 tons of this material. It confirmed that all of this material is currently under containment and monitoring measures. Notably, the new Syrian authorities informed the IAEA of the site’s existence in July 2026 and invited the agency to cooperate with the inspection and verification activities.

Does the presence of Syrian uranium mean the existence of a nuclear bomb?

The answer is no. The presence of natural uranium does not mean that Syria possesses a nuclear weapon. We are talking about natural uranium, not highly enriched fissile material with the specifications necessary for manufacturing a nuclear weapon. However, the significance of discovering the 73 tons lies elsewhere: it reveals that materials related to Syria’s previous nuclear program remained within the country, despite the fact that nearly two decades have passed since the destruction of the Deir ez-Zor reactor.

North Korea and the Syrian nuclear program: Where is the connection?

The Deir ez-Zor reactor project has been linked for years to reports of Syrian-North Korean cooperation in the nuclear field. The similarity between the design of the Syrian facility and some facilities associated with North Korea’s nuclear program was one of the reasons for international focus on the site. However, it is essential to distinguish between what is currently proven and what remains within the realm of reports and conclusions. What is certain now is that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed the nature of the Deir ez-Zor facility as a nuclear reactor under construction. It has also confirmed that its fuel was being manufactured at another Syrian site.

Israel and the Syrian reactor: Did the project end with the airstrike?

The 2007 Israeli airstrike succeeded in destroying the main facility, but it did not necessarily erase all traces of the project. A nuclear program consists not only of a reactor, but also of raw materials, fuel manufacturing processes, storage facilities, equipment, documentation, and human expertise. Therefore, destroying the reactor does not automatically mean the disappearance of everything associated with it. Evidence of this is that, years later, the agency was able to identify sites linked to the project and find previously undeclared nuclear materials.

The fall of Assad: Who inherited the secrets of the Syrian nuclear program?

The fall of Bashar al-Assad at the end of 2014 led to a radical change in the way the Syrian nuclear file was handled. The new Syrian authorities granted the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) access to sites and information related to the previous program. This allowed for significant progress in the investigation. In August 2016, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi visited Syria, including the Deir ez-Zor site and another location linked to the discovered nuclear material. In its latest report, the IAEA commended the cooperation of the new Syrian authorities, stating that the information and access to the sites enabled it to clarify and resolve outstanding questions regarding the activities of the previous nuclear program.

Syria’s nuclear program after Assad: A peaceful program or a heavy legacy?

Ironically, the new Syria speaks of a different nuclear future. Damascus has expressed interest in developing a program to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, while keeping any discovered nuclear materials under international safeguards. This presents Syria with a delicate dilemma: a murky nuclear legacy from the Assad era versus a declared desire to use nuclear technology for civilian purposes under international supervision.

Where did Syria’s nuclear weapons go? The question that remains buried underground.

Recent developments reveal that the question is no longer whether Syria was building a nuclear reactor, as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has settled that point. The more difficult question now is whether what has been discovered represents the entirety of Syria’s old nuclear program. To date, there is no published evidence to suggest that Syria possesses a nuclear weapon or is developing one. However, a reactor was under construction, along with sites associated with fuel production and storage, nuclear materials that remained within the country, and approximately 73 tons of natural uranium that are now under international control. Thus, the story of “Syria’s nuclear program” is no longer about a hidden bomb; it is about a project whose reactor was destroyed. But its traces remain in the ground, in the materials, documents, and knowledge. Perhaps this is why the most important question now is not, “Does Syria possess a nuclear bomb?” but rather, “What remains of the Syrian nuclear program, and who holds the keys to it today?”