U.S.‑Brokered Secret Removal of Syrian Nuclear Material Averted Israeli Strike and Quietly Redrew Red Lines
The Trump administration quietly negotiated a deal to extract yellowcake uranium from a clandestine Syrian site known as ‘Site 99,’ with the IAEA, Damascus and Jerusalem all in the loop. The covert arrangement appears to have headed off a potential Israeli strike, raising uncomfortable questions about how many nuclear risks are managed in the shadows.
A secret U.S.‑brokered deal to remove nuclear material from a covert Syrian facility has pulled back the curtain on how far Washington, Damascus and Jerusalem were willing to go to avoid another open clash over Syria’s nuclear file. According to accounts citing former officials, the Trump administration reached a quiet understanding with Syria and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to extract yellowcake uranium from an undisclosed site known as “Site 99.” The material, reportedly stored at this clandestine facility, had become a potential trigger for an Israeli military strike, echoing Israel’s 2007 bombing of the al‑Kibar reactor. Instead, the parties agreed to let international inspectors remove the stockpile, defusing…
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