Syria tried to build a nuclear reactor in the eastern province of Deir ez-Zor during the rule of ousted President Bashar al-Assad, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported, quoted by „Al Jazeera“, reports News.bg.
The IAEA visited several sites in Syria in August 2026 and carried out inspections. Based on observations at the Deir ez-Zor site, the agency notes that the cooling infrastructure discovered so far is consistent with that of a nuclear reactor.
The agency said it would continue to monitor the site's activities as excavations progress.
The site was destroyed in 2007.
The existence of the site only became clear in 2007, after Israeli airstrikes destroyed the facility.
Syria subsequently cleared the area and did not provide comprehensive answers to the IAEA's questions about the site.
Following the removal of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, the new government agreed to grant IAEA inspectors access to sites suspected of having been linked to nuclear activity in the past. activity.
Uranium particles found
The IAEA took samples from the Deir ez-Zor site in 2024 and reported last year that they contained uranium particles.
The agency also found that the former Syrian authorities had not declared nuclear material, facilities and activities.