--- title: "IAEA to remove uranium from Syrian Site 99 under US-brokered deal" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/conflict/iaea-to-remove-uranium-from-syrian-site-99-under-us-brokered-deal" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/iaea-to-remove-uranium-from-syrian-site-99-under-us-brokered-deal" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/conflict/iaea-to-remove-uranium-from-syrian-site-99-under-us-brokered-deal.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/iaea-to-remove-uranium-from-syrian-site-99-under-us-brokered-deal" category: "Conflict & Security" area: "Middle East" published: "2026-08-10T23:46:00.899Z" source_reported: "2026-08-10T23:19:11.096Z" updated: "2026-08-10T23:46:00.899Z" trust_score: 47 critic_score: 95 hype_score: 15 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-11T01:42:45.871Z" --- # IAEA to remove uranium from Syrian Site 99 under US-brokered deal *Agreement follows months of secret talks between Washington, Damascus and Jerusalem to avert Israeli military action* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 47 of 100, higher is better. Trust 47: two independent reports cite Axios and name Charles Lister, but central claim relies on unnamed officials. - Craft 95 of 100, higher is better. Critic 95: articles explain why removal matters, quote officials, separate facts, and specify sites and actors. - Hype 15 of 100, lower is better. Hype 15: language is measured; no clickbait or exaggerated claims beyond the factual report. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - The IAEA plans to remove nuclear material, including yellowcake uranium, from a secret Syrian site called Site 99 under a deal brokered by the United States. - The agreement follows months of secret talks between the US, Syria and Israel, during which Israel threatened to bomb the site if the material was not removed. - The material is linked to Syria’s former nuclear programme, centred on the Al-Kibar reactor, which Israel destroyed in 2007. - The removal has not yet begun, but US officials expect it to be completed by the end of 2026. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will remove nuclear material from a clandestine Syrian site known as Site 99, following an agreement brokered by the United States. The deal involves Syria and Israel and was reached after months of secret diplomacy. The material includes yellowcake uranium, a powder produced from uranium ore, according to a US official cited by Axios. The site is linked to Syria’s former nuclear programme, which centred on the Al-Kibar reactor in the Dayr Az Zawr region. Israel bombed the reactor in 2007. After the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, the IAEA signed an agreement with Syria’s new government to inspect several nuclear sites, including Al-Kibar and Site 99. Charles Lister, a resident fellow at the Middle East Institute, said Syria’s new government is eager to resolve inherited nuclear issues to improve its international standing. Israel had threatened to bomb Site 99 if the material was not removed or if Syria attempted to access it. The US and Israel discussed the issue for over a year before agreeing that securing Syria’s cooperation was the best approach. A US official said the new Syrian government has been a "good partner" in the process. The agreement was signed three weeks ago, and the IAEA has not yet begun removing the material. ## What the reports disagree on The Jerusalem Post reported that the agreement "validates US President Donald Trump’s approach towards Syria and shows that his administration is utilizing close relations with Syria to neutralize a possible crisis." Ynet News did not include this claim. The Jerusalem Post also reported that Syrian officials denied knowledge of nuclear material at the site, while Ynet News did not mention this denial. ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated digests mentioned the detail that Israel bombed the entrances to Site 99 after the fall of Assad’s regime. The Jerusalem Post did not include the potential use of the material in a dirty bomb, as reported by Ynet News. None of the digests or the Jerusalem Post mentioned Charles Lister’s comment on Syria’s new government resolving inherited nuclear and chemical weapons issues. **2007** — Year Israel bombed the Al-Kibar reactor (The reactor was Syria’s main nuclear facility before its destruction.) ## Who covered it Shares of the 8 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 13% (1) - Centre: 12% (1) - Right: 75% (6) 0 of 8 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-11T01:42:45.871Z. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 8 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-11T01:45:26.850Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Ynet News led on the diplomatic effort to prevent escalation involving Israel, Syria and Turkey. It included the detail that Israel bombed the entrances to Site 99 after the fall of Assad’s regime to prevent access. The report quoted Charles Lister, who said Syria’s new government is eager to resolve inherited nuclear and chemical weapons issues. It also noted that the material could be used in a "dirty bomb." ### Centre - The Jerusalem Post led on the agreement as a validation of US President Donald Trump’s approach to Syria. It quoted Axios saying the deal shows the administration is "utilizing close relations with Syria to neutralize a possible crisis." The report included the detail that Syrian officials denied knowledge of nuclear material at the site. It also noted that the US and Israel had discussed the issue for over a year before reaching the agreement. ### Right - The four right-rated digests all led on the US-brokered deal to avert regional escalation. Observador noted that Israel had detected movements at Site 99 recently, which raised concerns. Arutz Sheva and Anadolu Ajansı emphasised the role of the IAEA in extracting the material. Al Bawaba framed the story as a secret deal reached by the Trump administration, citing Axios and Al-Arabiya. None of the digests mentioned the yellowcake uranium or the potential use of the material in a dirty bomb. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - low: 2 - mixed: 3 - high: 3 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [आज तक](https://aajtak.in/world/story/syria-site-99-nuclear-material-removal-iaea-israel-us-turkiye-deal-ntc-mnrd-smsr-dskc-2619627-2026-08-11) — This Muslim Country Secretly Has Nuclear Material Buried Underground; Preparations Are Now Underway to Remove It. - [Jerusalem Post](https://jpost.com/middle-east/article-905121) — IAEA set to remove nuclear material from Syrian site in US brokered deal - [Observador](https://observador.pt/2026/08/10/estados-unidos-siria-e-israel-alcancam-acordo-secreto-para-retirar-material-de-programa-nuclear-clandestino-de-assad) — United States, Syria and Israel Reach Secret Agreement to Withdraw Material From Assad's Clandestine Nuclear Program - [Ynet News](https://ynetnews.com/article/b1gcppplze) — Report: IAEA to remove nuclear material from secret Syrian site after US-Israel deal - [Arutz Sheva](https://israelnationalnews.com/news/431521) — IAEA to extract nuclear materials from clandestine Syrian 'Site 99' - [Unknown](https://news.walla.co.il/item/3859853) — The Nuclear Material Left by Assad at Site 99 Will Be Removed - [Al Bawaba](https://albawaba.com/news/trump-administration-reaches-secret-1634798) — Trump administration reaches secret deals with Syria and Israel to remove nuclear materials - [Anadolu Ajansı](https://aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/iaea-to-remove-nuclear-material-from-clandestine-syrian-site-report/4023605) — IAEA to remove nuclear material from clandestine Syrian site: Report - [Newsmax](https://newsmax.com/world/globaltalk/syria-israel-turkey/2026/08/10/id/1265677) — Report: Atomic Agency to Remove Nuclear Material From Syria - [Crypto Briefing](https://cryptobriefing.com/iaea-remove-nuclear-material-syria-us-deal) — IAEA to remove nuclear material from secret Syrian site after US brokers deal with Israel - [ussanews.com](https://ussanews.com/2026/08/10/us-and-israel-agree-to-remove-nuclear-material-from-secret-syrian-site-axios) — US and Israel agree to remove nuclear material from secret Syrian site – Axios ## Questions **What is Site 99 in Syria?** Site 99 is a clandestine Syrian facility where nuclear material, including yellowcake uranium, was stored. It is linked to Syria’s former nuclear programme, which centred on the Al-Kibar reactor bombed by Israel in 2007. The IAEA plans to remove the material under a US-brokered deal. **Why is the US involved in removing nuclear material from Syria?** The United States brokered the deal to remove nuclear material from Site 99 to avert a potential military escalation between Israel and Syria. Israel had threatened to bomb the site if the material was not removed, and the US sought to secure Syria’s cooperation instead. **What is yellowcake uranium?** Yellowcake uranium is a powder produced from uranium ore. It can be further processed and enriched as part of the nuclear fuel cycle. While it cannot be used directly in a nuclear weapon, it could be used in a dirty bomb, which disperses radioactive material. **When will the nuclear material be removed from Site 99?** The removal has not yet begun, but US officials expect the process to be completed by the end of 2026. The agreement between the IAEA and Syria was signed three weeks before the reports were published. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/conflict/iaea-to-remove-uranium-from-syrian-site-99-under-us-brokered-deal. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "IAEA to remove uranium from Syrian Site 99 under US-brokered deal", https://mediabias.news/conflict/iaea-to-remove-uranium-from-syrian-site-99-under-us-brokered-deal