The International Atomic Energy Agency is scheduled to remove nuclear material from a clandestine Syrian facility following a diplomatic agreement finalized by the United States, Syria, and Israel, according to Axios and Israel National News. The diplomatic push, coordinated by the Trump administration, seeks to secure the radioactive substances and prevent a potential military escalation involving Israel, Syria, and Turkey.
Diplomatic Efforts and the Threat of Regional Escalation
Months of exchanged threats and diplomatic correspondence preceded the agreement, which was reached a few weeks ago after being kept secret and unreported, Axios reported. Israel National News noted that the quiet diplomatic effort neutralized a volatile flashpoint that risked provoking military confrontations over the sensitive location. The Trump administration advised Israel against taking military action while facilitating direct IAEA intervention, leading to a signed accord between the IAEA and the Syrian government to safely remove the stockpiles.
Origins of the Nuclear Material at Al-Kibar and Site 99
North Korea assisted the administration of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in constructing the Al-Kibar plutonium production facility in northeastern Syria’s Dayr Az Zawr region, around which a covert nuclear initiative was established, Axios reported. An Israeli airstrike obliterated the reactor in 2007, but inactive infrastructure survived. Following Assad’s fall, the IAEA signed an agreement with Syria’s newly installed government to visit Al-Kibar and auxiliary locations.
Israeli intelligence monitored a specific facility designated as “Site 99” for two years, where the former regime stored radioactive stockpiles linked to the Al-Kibar project, according to Israel National News. A US official told Axios that the stored inventory featured yellowcake—defined as a refined uranium ore powder capable of undergoing processing and subsequent enrichment within a fuel cycle—along with other leftovers originating from Al-Kibar. While unsuitable for direct weaponization into a nuclear warhead, experts warned the materials could be used to assemble a dirty bomb. Shortly after Assad’s collapse, the Israel Defense Forces bombed the entrance points of Site 99 to deny access.
Strategy, Buy-In, and Future Outlook
American and Israeli national security teams spent over a year strategizing on how to manage Site 99, involving collaboration between the White House National Security Council and the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, Israel National News reported. An Israeli official stated that Jerusalem made it clear it would not allow nuclear material to remain inside Syrian borders, threatening additional airstrikes if the material was not cleared or if Syria attempted to access it. Ultimately, strategists determined that securing direct cooperation from Damascus was the most effective pathway.
When US diplomats raised the matter, Syrian officials denied having prior knowledge of nuclear material at the site, though a US official noted that very few people in the US, Israel, and Syria were aware of the situation. Tensions flared weeks ago when Israeli surveillance registered activity near Site 99, raising concerns in Jerusalem that Damascus might be attempting to retrieve the materials, with Israeli officials harboring suspicions that Ankara could be assisting. Despite these tensions, a US official described the new Syrian government as a good partner in the newly established relationship.
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