Syria announces IAEA visit to discuss nuclear material amid reports of removal deal

Syria has finally agreed to hand over nuclear materials it long denied possessing, allowing the International Atomic Energy Agency to remove uranium yellowcake and other residues from a clandestine site tied to the former Assad regime’s undeclared nuclear program. The agreement, finalized around mid-July 2026 and brokered with heavy US involvement, represents a dramatic reversal for a country that spent years stonewalling international inspectors. Israel, which had been monitoring the site and signaling it might strike if the materials stayed put, appears to have provided the final nudge. From denial to disclosure The materials in question are stored at a location known as Site 99 and include uranium yellowcake along with residues connected to the Al-Kibar reactor. That facility was destroyed in a 2007 Israeli airstrike. Syria denied the site had anything to do with nuclear weapons development. The new Syrian authorities, led by Ahmed Al-Sharaa, initially claimed they had no knowledge of these materials. That line has since shifted toward something closer to cooperation. Syria’s Atomic Energy Commission announced an IAEA visit scheduled for August 11, 2026, to report on what it des...