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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| IAEA to reportedly remove nuclear material from secret Syrian site |
| 2026-08-11 |
| [TT] The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is preparing to remove nuclear material from a clandestine Syrian facility known as "Site 99." Axios reported late Monday, citing Israeli and U.S. officials, that the move follows a monthslong, previously unreported diplomatic effort by the Trump administration that averted a potential military escalation involving Israel, Syria, and possibly Türkiye. Syria's Atomic Energy Commission confirmed Monday that an IAEA delegation will visit Damascus in the coming days, following the Axios report that the U.N. nuclear watchdog is preparing to extract material from the hidden site. The material at the site, part of the former Al-Kibar reactor project developed under the Assad regime, includes yellowcake, a powder derived from uranium ore that can later be processed and enriched as part of a nuclear fuel cycle, along with other residue from the Al-Kibar site, according to Axios, which cited a U.S. official. While the material cannot be used to build a nuclear weapon, officials said it could be used in a "dirty bomb," a conventional explosive device that disperses radioactive material to contaminate an area rather than produce a nuclear explosion. Israel bombed the Al-Kibar reactor in 2007, largely destroying Syria's nuclear program at the time, though several research, development and storage sites remained, mostly inactive, according to Axios. After the fall of the Assad regime, the IAEA signed an agreement with Syria's new government allowing it to visit Al-Kibar and other sites tied to the country's past nuclear activity, Axios reported. Related: IAEA: 2026-08-04 Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: August 3, 2026 IAEA: 2026-07-31 Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: July 30, 2026 IAEA: 2026-07-25 Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: July 24, 2026 Related: Al-Kibar 01/10/2013 Iran May Try To Grab Damascus's Enriched Uranium Al-Kibar 02/23/2009 Rush Hour on the Road to Damascus Al-Kibar 10/04/2008 Syria rejects opening military sites to IAEA |
| Posted by:Skidmark |