“Syria, which built an undeclared, clandestine nuclear reactor at Deir al-Zour, optimized for plutonium production, has been in non-compliance with its safeguards obligations for over a decade,” said Moshe Edri, Director General of Israel’s Atomic Energy Commission.

“Syria has recently followed the footsteps of its close ally, Iran, and is pretending to cooperate in good faith with the Agency, while not admitting the full facts, and not providing true answers to the Agency’s questions. The international community should stand behind the IAEA with a goal towards receiving clear, full, explanations from Syria, once and for all.”

In March, IAEA director Rafael Grossi visited Syria for talks with Syrian leaders about the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. It was the first visit by an IAEA official to Syria since 2011 when international nuclear inspectors fled the country during the Syrian Civil War.