Latest news with #DeirEzzor
Arab News
a day ago
- Health
- Arab News
Syria ‘will give UN inspectors immediate access to suspected former nuclear sites'
DAMASCUS: Syria's new government has agreed to give inspectors from the UN's nuclear watchdog access to suspected former nuclear sites immediately, the agency's head said. The International Atomic Energy Agency's director general, Rafael Mariano Grossi, spoke in an interview in Damascus, where he met with President Ahmad Al-Sharaa and other officials. He also said Al-Sharaa expressed an interest in pursuing nuclear energy for Syria in the future, adding, 'Why not?' The agency's aim is 'to bring total clarity over certain activities that took place in the past that were, in the judgment of the agency, probably related to nuclear weapons,' Grossi said. He described the new government as 'committed to opening up to the world, to international cooperation' and said he is hopeful of finishing the inspection process within months. An IAEA team in 2024 visited some sites of interest while former President Bashar Assad was still in power. Since the fall of Assad in December, the IAEA has been seeking to restore access to sites associated with Syria's nuclear program. Syria under Assad is believed to have operated an extensive clandestine nuclear program, which included an undeclared nuclear reactor built by North Korea in eastern Deir Ezzor province. The IAEA described the reactor as being 'not configured to produce electricity' — raising the concern that Damascus sought a nuclear weapon there by producing weapons-grade plutonium. The reactor site only became public knowledge after Israel, the Middle East's only nuclear power, launched airstrikes in 2007, destroying the facility. Syria later leveled the site and never responded fully to the IAEA's questions. Grossi said inspectors plan to return to the reactor in Deir Ezzor and three other related sites. Other sites under IAEA safeguards include a miniature neutron source reactor in Damascus and a facility in Homs that can process yellow-cake uranium. 'We are trying to narrow down the focus to those or that one that could be of a real interest,' he said. While there are no indications that there have been releases of radiation from the sites, he said, the watchdog is concerned that 'enriched uranium can be lying somewhere and could be reused, could be smuggled, could be trafficked.' He said Al-Sharaa had shown a 'very positive disposition to talk to us and to allow us to carry out the activities we need to.' Apart from resuming inspections, Grossi said the IAEA is prepared to transfer equipment for nuclear medicine and to help rebuild the radiotherapy, nuclear medicine, and oncology infrastructure in a health system severely weakened by nearly 14 years of civil war. 'And the president has expressed to me he's interested in exploring, in the future, nuclear energy as well,' Grossi said. Grossi said Syria would most likely be looking into small modular reactors, which are cheaper and easier to deploy than traditional large ones. Regarding the ongoing negotiations between the US and Iran for a deal over Tehran's nuclear program, Grossi said he has been in 'constant contact' with the parties. 'They are negotiating; it's not us, but it is obvious that the IAEA will have to be the guarantor of whichever agreement they come to,' he said.
The National
2 days ago
- General
- The National
Syria to give UN inspectors immediate access to suspected former nuclear sites
Syria has agreed to give inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency immediate access to suspected former nuclear sites, the group's director general has said. The UN nuclear watchdog aims to 'bring total clarity over certain activities that took place in the past that were, in the judgment of the agency, probably related to nuclear weapons", Rafael Grossi told the AP on Wednesday. He said the Syrian government, led by President Ahmad Al Shara, was 'committed to opening up to the world, to international co-operation', adding that he is hopeful of finishing the inspection process within the coming months. Mr Grossi's remarks came after he met Mr Al Shara and other officials in Damascus. Mr Grossi said the Syrian leader expressed an interest in pursuing nuclear energy for the country in the future, adding: 'Why not?' An IAEA team visited some sites of interest in 2024, while former president Bashar Al Assad was in power. Since the downfall of his regime in December, the IAEA has sought to secure access to sites associated with Syria's nuclear programme. Under Mr Al Assad, Syria was believed to have operated an extensive clandestine nuclear programme, which included an undeclared reactor built by North Korea in the eastern Deir Ezzor province. The IAEA said the reactor was 'not configured to produce electricity', raising concerns that Damascus sought to develop a nuclear weapon there. The reactor site only became public knowledge after Israel launched air strikes that destroyed the facility in 2007. Syria later levelled the site and did not respond fully to questions from the IAEA. Mr Grossi said inspectors planned to return to the reactor facility in Deir Ezzor, as well as to three other related sites. Other areas under IAEA safeguards include a miniature neutron source reactor in Damascus and a facility in Homs that can process yellow cake uranium. 'We are trying to narrow down the focus to those or that one that could be of a real interest,' he said. While he said there were no indications that radiation had been released from the sites, the agency is concerned that 'enriched uranium can be lying somewhere and could be reused, could be smuggled, could be trafficked". He said Mr Al Shara, who has courted western governments since taking power, had shown a 'very positive disposition to talk to us and to allow us to carry out the activities we need to". Apart from resuming inspections in Syria, Mr Grossi said the IAEA was prepared to transfer equipment for nuclear medicine and to help rebuild radiotherapy and oncology infrastructure in a healthcare system severely weakened by 14 years of civil war. 'And the President has expressed to me that he's interested in exploring, in the future, nuclear energy as well,' added Mr Grossi. Several countries in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Jordan, are pursuing nuclear energy in some form. Mr Grossi said Syria was likely to look into small modular reactors, which are cheaper and easier to use than traditional large reactors.
Arab News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
IAEA head in Damascus to discuss nuclear power
DAMASCUS: UN nuclear watchdog head Rafael Grossi said Wednesday his agency and Syrian authorities would begin 'exploring the possibility of nuclear power,' on his first visit to Damascus since the ouster of Bashar Assad. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has repeatedly been at loggerheads with Syria in the past over what it says are 'unresolved issues' regarding suspected nuclear activities. On his visit, the IAEA chief met with Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani. 'Honoured to meet Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa in Damascus. I recognize his courage in cooperating with full transparency to close a chapter of Syria's past that diverted resources necessary for development,' Grossi said in a post on X. He said the two sides 'will also begin exploring the possibility of nuclear power in Syria.' 'Our cooperation is key to closing outstanding issues and focusing on the much needed help IAEA can provide Syria in health and agriculture,' he added. The IAEA has urged Syria repeatedly to cooperate fully with the agency in connection to a suspected nuclear reactor at the Deir Ezzor desert site. Israel in 2018 admitted carrying out a top-secret air raid in 2007 against what it said was a nuclear reactor under construction at the site in eastern Syria. Syria had denied it was building a nuclear reactor. Grossi visited Damascus in March last year, meeting then president Assad who was overthrown in December after nearly 14 years of civil war. Grossi told an IAEA Board of Governors meeting in March this year that he had requested Syria's cooperation to 'fulfil our obligation to verify nuclear material and facilities' and to 'address unresolved issues.' 'Clarifying these issues remains essential to Syria demonstrating its commitment to nuclear non-proliferation and international peace and security,' he said at the time.
Asharq Al-Awsat
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
One SDF Fighter Killed in Attack by ISIS in Eastern Syria
The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, a group led by Kurdish fighters, said on Monday that one of its fighters was killed and another injured in an attack by ISIS in Syria's eastern Deir Ezzor region. The SDF was the main fighting force allied to the United States in Syria during fighting that defeated ISIS in 2019 after the group seized swathes of Syria and Iraq. The SDF reached an agreement in March to integrate with the Syrian government, now led by former opposition groups that toppled President Bashar al-Assad last year. Syria's new authorities have clashed with ISIS fighters, particularly in the east. Last month ISIS killed five SDF fighters in one of the deadliest recent attacks against the group.
Al Bawaba
19-05-2025
- Al Bawaba
Car bomb in Syria kills at least 3 police officers
Published May 19th, 2025 - 04:39 GMT ALBAWABA - At least three policemen died after a car explosion near a police station in eastern Syria on Sunday, Local media reported. State news agency SANA added that another two officers were injured in the blast, which took place next to the police station in the city of Al-Mayadeen in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor. Khalil Abdulmoneim al-Ayoub, director of Al-Mayadeen city detailed that the car explosion happened at exactly 07:13 pm local time on Sunday. "Initial investigations and an inspection of the site revealed that it was caused by a car bomb, resulting in the deaths of three members of the General Security and a number of injuries," al-Ayoub said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said five people had been killed in the blast, including four police officers. The organization also mentioned that "two civilians, including a girl, were injured" in the incident. © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (
