The United Nations has determined that a secretly constructed nuclear reactor, built during the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria, had the potential to produce fissile material for nuclear weapons. IAEA experts recently visited sites in Deir ez-Zor and another undisclosed location indicated by Syrian authorities. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi stated that the previous regime operated in secrecy, likely not wanting the world to know of their activities. He confirmed the reactor’s design and technical characteristics were capable of producing material directly applicable to nuclear weapons production. Reports suggest North Korea constructed the reactor in the eastern Deir ez-Zor province during the Assad regime. Following the potential fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, current Syrian leaders agreed to allow IAEA access to the facilities. Israel admitted to conducting a covert airstrike on Syrian nuclear facilities 11 years prior, which the US initially reported in 2008. Inspections revealed around 73 tons of natural uranium metal, accessed after experts “broke through thick walls” and navigated difficult pathways; the materials are now secured and monitored by remotely placed cameras.