IAEA Discovers Traces Of Depleted Uranium At Syrian Sites Bombed By Israel

Via The Cradle

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has detected uranium traces in Syria during inspections of a site Israel destroyed in 2007, according to a confidential report circulated to member states this week.

The samples, taken last year from one of three unnamed sites “allegedly functionally related” to Deir Ezzor, contained a large quantity of natural uranium particles, the report seen by Reuters said. 

It explained that the particles were of anthropogenic origin, meaning, though not enriched, they had undergone chemical processing.

The report said Syrian authorities told inspectors they had “no information that might explain the presence of such uranium particles,” while confirming that the current government granted the IAEA renewed access to the site in June to collect further samples.

IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi met Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa the same month. The report states that “Syria agreed to cooperate with the Agency, through full transparency, to address Syria’s past nuclear activities.”

Grossi asked for Syrian help to return to Deir Ezzor “in the next few months” to review documentation and interview those linked to earlier projects.

The nuclear watchdog said it intends to proceed with visits to Deir Ezzor and will evaluate results from other environmental samples. 

“Once this process has been completed and the results evaluated, there will be an opportunity to clarify and resolve the outstanding safeguards issues related to Syria’s past nuclear activities and to bring the matter to a close,” the report noted.

The government of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad had maintained that the Deir Ezzor site was a conventional military base. 

However, in 2011, the agency concluded the structure was “very likely” an undeclared reactor that Damascus should have declared.

The IAEA’s report comes amid wider concerns over Israel’s use of uranium-based weapons in other West Asian theaters. Scientific studies have documented abnormal uranium residues across West Asia in the aftermath of US and Israeli bombardments. 

Measurements by Green Audit in Fallujah, Lebanon, and Gaza revealed isotope ratios inconsistent with those of natural uranium. These findings were later confirmed by independent laboratories in Europe and the UK. 

Tests detected enriched uranium in soil, bomb craters, air filter dust, and biological samples. In 2021, a study published in Nature reported a marked rise in uranium enrichment levels in Gaza’s environment since 2008.

Researchers concluded that enriched uranium, a substance that does not occur in nature, must have originated from weapons deployed by the US in Iraq and Israel in Lebanon and Gaza.

Some sources are alleging the detected uranium particles are due to a prior secretive nuclear program under the Assad government…

The IAEA found processed uranium particles at a Syrian site bombed by Israel in 2007, contradicting Assad’s claim it was only a military base. Syria’s new leadership has allowed further tests, and IAEA chief Rafael Grossi is pushing for deeper investigations to uncover the truth… pic.twitter.com/L8IbW4GWMI

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) September 2, 2025

Further reports reinforce these findings. In October 2024, Lebanese health official Raif Reda said Israel bombed Beirut’s southern suburbs with uranium-based munitions and urged that samples be sent to the UN for investigation. 

Lebanese outlets noted the use of BLU-109 missiles, whose casings could contain depleted uranium. In June 2025, Fars News Agency reported that Israeli bombs dropped on Iran during the 12-day war left debris showing preliminary signs of depleted uranium. 

In Gaza, a UN Human Rights Commission report documented Israeli strikes with GBU-31, GBU-32, and GBU-39 bombs between 9 October and 2 December 2023 against residential buildings, a school, refugee camps, and a market – guided munitions that can be manufactured with depleted uranium casings.