Syrian Atomic-Weapons Probe Disrupted by Assad Ouster, IAEA Says
- IAEA Director General Grossi says probe was at a key juncture
- UN monitors are still assessing new environmental samples
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The United Nations atomic watchdog said a probe into potential Syrian nuclear-weapons activities was interrupted by the ouster of President Bashar Al-Assad, just as monitors closed in on a breakthrough in the long-running investigation.
Syria’s ousted ruler had given the International Atomic Energy Agency permission to visit and collect fresh environmental samples from suspected sites in recent months, according to Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. With Assad now gone IAEA inspectors are facing new delays and uncertainty, he said.