Following high-stakes diplomatic coordination orchestrated by the Trump administration alongside Syrian and Israeli leadership, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is slated to extract radioactive substances housed at an undisclosed facility in Syria, Axios reported on Monday, citing Israeli and US authorities.
The quiet diplomatic push neutralized a volatile flashpoint that risked provoking military confrontations among Israel, Syria, and potentially Turkey regarding the sensitive location.
The former regime led by Bashar Al-Assad maintained a covert atomic project centered around the Al-Kibar reactor. An Israeli airstrike obliterated the reactor in 2007, effectively neutralizing Syria’s broader nuclear ambitions. Nevertheless, various inactive research, development, and storage infrastructure survived.
Following the fall of the Assad administration, the IAEA concluded a formal arrangement with Syria's new leadership allowing inspectors access to Al-Kibar and auxiliary locations tied to historical atomic activity.
Over the past two years, Israeli intelligence maintained close surveillance on a specific facility designated as "Site 99." Two Israeli sources told Axios that the former regime utilized the location to store radioactive stockpiles linked to the Al-Kibar project. A US official confirmed the inventory included yellowcake - a refined uranium ore powder capable of being processed and eventually enriched within a fuel cycle - alongside other residual materials from Al-Kibar.
Although the stockpiled material is unsuitable for weaponization directly into a nuclear warhead, experts warned it could be weaponized to assemble a "dirty bomb" - a conventional explosive designed to scatter radioactive fallout over a target area. Shortly after Assad's collapse, Israel Defense Forces targeted and bombed the entrance points of "Site 99" to deny access to the facility.
American and Israeli national security teams have spent over a year strategizing on how to manage "Site 99," according to a US official who spoke to Axios. Top officials from the White House National Security Council collaborated closely with counterparts inside the Israeli Prime Minister's Office.
An Israeli official noted that Jerusalem communicated firmly to Washington that it would not tolerate nuclear material remaining inside Syrian borders. Israeli representatives even warned they were prepared to launch additional airstrikes on the compound if the materials were not cleared or if Syrian personnel attempted to access the area. However, a US official noted that while Israeli concern was high, an immediate strike was never imminent.
Ultimately, American and Israeli strategists determined that securing direct cooperation from Damascus was the most effective pathway to remove the materials. When US diplomats raised the matter with Syrian officials, the new government responded that it was previously unaware of nuclear stockpiles at the site.
"Very few people in the US, Israel and Syria were aware of this," a US official told Axios, adding that Washington has cultivated an effective relationship with post-Assad authorities. "When we work with the Syrians on things - they are good partners."
Tensions flared several weeks ago when Israeli surveillance registered activity near "Site 99," prompting concerns in Jerusalem that Damascus was breaching commitments and attempting to retrieve the materials. Israeli officials even harbored suspicions that Ankara might be assisting Syria's efforts to secure the inventory.
"The Israelis are always kicking the tires on different things to make sure it looks right and it's good they do that," a US official remarked.
The Trump administration advised Israel against taking military action while facilitating direct IAEA intervention. This diplomatic push culminated three weeks ago in a signed accord between the IAEA and the Syrian government to safely remove the stockpiles.
Representatives from the White House, the IAEA, and the Prime Minister's Office declined to offer public comments.