Damascus confirms nuclear material as Israel warns against Syrian nuclear activity

Syria’s foreign ministry said the nuclear material is for civilian uses and will comply with IAEA inspections.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani confirmed Tuesday that Syria possesses nuclear material, saying Damascus intends to use nuclear energy for peaceful civilian purposes and is allowing international inspectors access to a site in Deir ez-Zor.

Al-Shaibani made the announcement during a news conference with International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi following Israeli strikes overnight between Monday and Tuesday in northern Syria.

“Syria has the right to the civilian use of nuclear energy, and it is allowing the IAEA access to the site in Deir ez-Zor on its own initiative and is committed to transparency,” al-Shaibani said.

He added that “Syria adheres to diplomacy in order to dissuade Israel from continuing its attacks.”

The announcement came about a week after the IAEA planned to remove uranium hidden in Syria.

Axios reported that the agency intended to visit a site where nuclear material was believed to have remained concealed since the Assad era and remove it from the country.

Israel had threatened to strike the compound and said it would not tolerate its continued existence, according to the report.

The Israeli strikes overnight targeted Tartus province in northwestern Syria near the Mediterranean coast. Arab media reported that the targets included a Syrian Air Force military base, with strikes directed at runways and storage facilities.

US envoy to Syria and Lebanon Tom Barrack condemned the attack.

A senior Israeli official told Fox News that the strikes were carried out after Israel received sensitive and classified intelligence. The intelligence was shared with the highest levels of the US government before the strikes, the official said.

The official also said the operation demonstrated to al-Jolani that he could not behave like the previous Syrian government.

Former Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government operated a secret nuclear project that Israel bombed in 2007. Syria’s nuclear program was largely destroyed, according to various reports, although several research, development and storage sites remained intact.