UN Report: Syria Failed to Declare Nuclear Reactor Built by North Korea

A confidential report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), circulated to member states and seen by the Associated Press, reveals that Syria under former President Bashar al-Assad failed to report nuclear material, facilities, and activities as required by the NPT Safeguards Agreement. The report follows an IAEA inspection in August at several sites in Syria, which confirmed the existence of an undeclared nuclear program, including a reactor under construction in Deir el-Zour, a fuel fabrication plant, and a fuel storage site. The Deir el-Zour reactor, built by North Korea, was destroyed by Israeli air strikes in 2007, after which Syria leveled the site and never fully cooperated with IAEA inquiries. In 2024, IAEA samples from the site contained uranium particles. The report's findings were made public amid a changing political landscape in Syria, following the fall of Assad's government. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani held a press conference in Damascus in August, signaling a new era of cooperation. The disclosure underscores the legacy of Syria's clandestine nuclear ambitions and the ongoing challenges of nuclear non-proliferation in the region.