IAEA gains access to Syria's Deir ez-Zor nuclear site

Shafaq News- Damascus

Syria has granted the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) access to a site in Deir Ez-Zor as part of expanded cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said on Tuesday.

Speaking at a joint press conference with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, al-Shaibani noted that Syria has the sovereign and legal right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

I’m currently in Syria, in the context of ongoing cooperation with the Syrian Government to clarify and resolve outstanding safeguards issues related to implementing its NPT Safeguards Agreement with the IAEA. We conducted the following activities:•⁠ ⁠Deir Ez-Zor site:… pic.twitter.com/unvDU7J6uB

— Rafael Mariano Grossi (@rafaelmgrossi) August 18, 2026

Grossi described the development as an important step for global security and nuclear non-proliferation, saying the agency has been working with Syria’s new government for the past 18 months to address longstanding international concerns.

“The IAEA will work toward bringing Syria into full compliance with its legal nuclear obligations,” Grossi added.