Syrian nuclear reactor could have been useful for weapons, IAEA chief says - Reuters
Syrian nuclear reactor could have been useful for weapons, IAEA chief says Reuters
First reported 1 week ago · latest update 1 week ago
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has concluded that the nuclear reactor being built by the Syrian government during the presidency of Bashar al‑Assad was designed to produce fissile material that could be used in nuclear weapons. The agency’s director general, Rafael Grossi, made the assessment in a statement delivered in Vienna on 7 September.
According to the IAEA, the reactor, which was nearing completion in 2007, belonged to a class of facilities capable of rapidly generating weapons‑grade material. Its configuration, as described by the agency, was consistent with a purpose beyond peaceful civilian use.
The reactor’s construction was halted when Israeli Air Force jets carried out a strike in September 2007, destroying the facility before it could become operational. The attack was aimed at preventing the potential development of a nuclear weapons capability in Syria.
Grossi’s remarks underscore the IAEA’s ongoing monitoring of nuclear activities worldwide and its concern over proliferation risks associated with clandestine weapons programs. The agency’s assessment is based on technical analysis of the reactor’s design and the circumstances surrounding its destruction.
The findings add to the historical record of Syria’s nuclear ambitions during the early 2000s and highlight the role of international oversight in addressing potential threats to global non‑proliferation efforts.
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Syrian nuclear reactor could have been useful for weapons, IAEA chief says - Reuters
Syrian nuclear reactor could have been useful for weapons, IAEA chief says Reuters
1 week agoAssad-era Syrian reactor was configured for nuclear weapons, IAEA chief says - AP News
Assad-era Syrian reactor was configured for nuclear weapons, IAEA chief says AP News
1 week agoSyrian nuclear reactor could have been useful for weapons, IAEA chief says
VIENNA, Sept 7 - The nuclear reactor Syria had nearly completed in 2007 when Israeli jets destroyed it was of a type that could quickly produce fissile material usable in nuclear weapons, U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said on Monday.
1 week agoAssad-era Syrian reactor was configured for nuclear weapons, IAEA chief says
The Assad-era government in Syria was constructing a nuclear reactor that was configured to produce fissile material for possible use in nuclear weapons, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency
1 week ago · Stephanie Liechtenstein