Syria admits holding nuclear material after Israeli strikes, vows to keep it

Syria’s Foreign Minister has publicly acknowledged for the first time that the country possesses nuclear material, insisting it will remain under Syrian control. The minister stated that Syria has the right to use the material for civilian purposes, marking a rare official admission from Damascus about its nuclear holdings.

The declaration comes in the aftermath of recent Israeli military operations targeting Syrian facilities. Syrian officials have previously been reluctant to discuss the country’s nuclear programme openly, making this acknowledgement a significant shift in the regime’s public stance.

Damascus has indicated that any nuclear material in its possession will remain under Syrian custody, though it will be subject to oversight by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations body responsible for monitoring nuclear programmes worldwide. This conditional acceptance of international supervision suggests Syria may be attempting to balance assertions of sovereignty with pressure from the international community.

The situation reflects broader regional tensions over nuclear proliferation in the Middle East, with Israel long maintaining that it will not tolerate nuclear weapons development by neighbouring states. Syria’s nuclear programme has been a point of international concern for years, particularly following a 2007 Israeli airstrike on what was believed to be a nuclear reactor near Deir ez-Zor.

Source: Walla News — Original article in Hebrew.