Syria has announced the start of the destruction of a batch of chemical materials discovered on its territory and linked to the period when ousted President Bashar al-Assad was in power. The country’s permanent representative to the UN, Ibrahim Albi, made the announcement at a meeting of the Security Council, calling it a “historic moment.” The operation is being conducted under the verification procedures of the technical secretariat of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
According to Albi, cooperation with the OPCW has not only technical but also political significance, as it reflects Damascus’s new approach to international institutions. Syria said it intends to return to the international community by acting responsibly and fulfilling its obligations. It was previously reported that the new authorities had discovered remnants of a secret chemical programme, including raw materials and munitions similar to those used in gas attacks during the war.
UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu said the OPCW had confirmed the destruction of chemical munitions in Syria for the first time since 2014. Following discoveries in May, another chemical-weapons production facility, a new substance used to make nerve agents, empty chemical munitions and two storage sites for such materials were identified. An OPCW team sent to Syria confirmed the destruction of 42 aerial bombs and other equipment associated with Category 3 chemical weapons.
Meanwhile, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported the discovery of several tonnes of nuclear materials left over from the former government in Deir ez-Zor province in the east of the country. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi had previously met in Damascus with President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani. Following the talks, the Syrian authorities granted the agency’s inspectors immediate and unhindered access to the relevant sites.
The Syrian side says Israeli strikes are obstructing efforts to locate and destroy dangerous materials, while also threatening local specialists, international inspectors and protected sites. Albi said it was impossible to safely deal with the country’s nuclear legacy while stability in Syria and the region was being undermined. Israeli incursions occur almost daily in southern Syria, particularly in the areas of Quneitra and Daraa; after the fall of the Assad regime, Israel occupied the buffer zone and a number of positions, including the Syrian side of Mount Hermon.
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What does Category 3 chemical weaponry mean under the OPCW classification, and how do such munitions differ from more dangerous categories? — In the OPCW classification, “Category 3” refers to munitions and devices specifically designed to use toxic chemicals but containing smaller quantities or intended to cause damage on a more limited scale. Unlike Categories 1 and 2, it generally includes munitions with a lower concentration or volume of chemical agent; however, the actual danger depends on the type of substance, the method of use and the conditions of dispersal. All chemical munitions are prohibited under the Chemical Weapons Convention, regardless of category.
Why is Deir ez-Zor province particularly important in the search for nuclear materials, and how much of the former government’s infrastructure has survived there? — Deir ez-Zor is significant because it is home to the former nuclear site in the Al-Kibar area, which international experts believe was linked to Syria’s secret nuclear project and was destroyed by Israel in 2007. The region is also important because of its remoteness, military facilities and proximity to smuggling routes. However, there is no reliable public information confirming that nuclear materials remain there. Some of the former military and administrative infrastructure may have survived, but after years of war it has been severely damaged, looted or placed under the control of various armed forces.
What is the legal basis for Israel’s presence in the buffer zone, on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon and in the areas of Quneitra and Daraa after the fall of the Assad regime? — Under international law, no unilateral legal basis for a permanent Israeli presence on Syrian territory has been announced. After Syrian troops withdrew, Israel cited security concerns and the need to prevent armed groups from infiltrating, but such arguments in themselves do not override the UN Charter or international humanitarian law. The 1974 Agreement on the Disengagement of Forces provided for a demilitarised zone and the presence of UN forces; changing or effectively violating it would normally require coordinated intergovernmental decisions rather than unilateral action. Category?
Full version: Syria Begins Destroying Chemical Weapons Dating Back to the Assad Regime