The United Nations nuclear watchdog has confirmed that a secret reactor built in Syria under former President Bashar al-Assad would have been capable of producing fissile material for nuclear weapons if completed. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi made the disclosure after inspectors visited two sites, including one in the eastern Deir ez-Zor province where the North Korea-built reactor was located and a second undisclosed site, following an invitation from Syria's new government, which took power after Assad's ouster in December 2024. The IAEA also confirmed the discovery of approximately 73 tonnes of natural uranium metal in fuel rod form at the second site, which is now under agency safeguards — a significant development given that experts warn such material could potentially be diverted and further processed for use in a nuclear weapon.