The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will begin removing nuclear material from Syria after an agreement brokered by the United States.
Axios reported that the Trump administration, Syria, and Israel have been involved in reaching the agreement regarding the material. The material from the al-Kibar "Site 99" was left over from the rule of Bashar al-Assad, ousted in 2024.
Although the material was not something that could have been used in a nuclear bomb, it could have been used in a dirty bomb. An administration official told the outlet that when Trump first brought up the site to the new Syrian leadership, they were unaware that the material was there.
"Very few people in the U.S., Israel and Syria were aware of this," a U.S. official said.
In a separate report, Reuters stopped short of saying that a plan was in place to remove the material but said that the IAEA planned to announce "significant progress" on the matter.
According to Reuters, the material is remnants of material that came from a Syrian nuclear power plant that Israel bombed in 2007 in the country's eastern province of Deir al-Zor.
The wire service reported that IAEA investigated the facility and related locations. It found traces of uranium at one of three places "that were allegedly functionally related" to the Deir al-Zor plant.
Reuters noted that IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said that the organization wanted to conduct more research to "achieve full clarity regarding past nuclear activities in Syria."
A Syrian official told the outlet that there were "no final" agreements in place. "Consultations are underway on establishing an international support group to coordinate the necessary technical and legal assistance," the official told Reuters, adding that "there is no Israeli role in this process."
U.S. officials were optimistic about the progress.
"When we work with the Syrians on things — they are good partners," the U.S. official told Axios, adding, "we think everybody is happy with the result. Hopefully we will be able to kick off the removal process soon and end it before the end of the year."
