US-Israel Deal With Syria to Remove Nuclear Material From Secret Site

Syria's Nuclear History and the Al-Kibar Reactor

The Al-Kibar reactor, located in Syria's Deir ez-Zor region, was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike on September 6, 2007. The facility was widely believed to have been a clandestine nuclear reactor under construction with North Korean assistance, though Damascus never formally acknowledged its purpose. The IAEA investigated the site for years but faced restricted access under the Assad government.

Syria has been ravaged by civil war since 2011, leaving large portions of the country outside effective government control and raising persistent concerns about unsecured weapons and materials. The collapse of the Assad regime in December 2024 opened a new chapter, with the current government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa actively seeking to rebuild international relations and attract foreign aid.

Diplomatic Realignment Under Al-Sharaa

President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former jihadist commander who was previously on the US wanted list, has pursued a pragmatic foreign policy since taking power. Last month, he disclosed that his administration was negotiating a security agreement with Israel, which has occupied portions of southwestern Syria since 2024, extending its military presence beyond the Golan Heights that it has held since 1967.

Al-Sharaa's government has simultaneously worked to normalize ties with Russia, a key military backer of the former Assad regime. Earlier this month, Moscow and Damascus reached an agreement to restructure Russia's Khmeimim Airbase and the naval facility in Tartus into joint training centers, ensuring a continued Russian military footprint in Syria despite Assad's removal from power.

What Comes Next

The IAEA is expected to begin operations at Site 99 to safely recover and remove the yellowcake material, though no specific timeline has been publicly confirmed. The successful completion of the removal would eliminate a significant proliferation risk that has persisted since the Al-Kibar reactor's destruction. Further details regarding the security arrangements and the final destination of the recovered nuclear material have not yet been disclosed.