The International Atomic Energy Agency is expected to remove nuclear material stored at a clandestine site in Syria after the Trump administration reached understandings with Syria and Israel, in an effort to secure the material and prevent a potential escalation involving Israel, Syria and possibly Turkey, Axios reports.

The facility, known as “Site 99,” was used by the Assad regime to store nuclear material connected to the Al-Kibar nuclear reactor project. Two Israeli officials said the material was part of that project, while a U.S. official said it included yellowcake, a powder produced from uranium ore that can later be further processed and eventually enriched as part of the nuclear fuel cycle, along with other residue and “leftovers” from Al-Kibar.

The material cannot be used for a nuclear weapon, but it could be used for a “dirty bomb,” in which conventional explosives disperse radioactive material to contaminate an area. Israeli officials said the IDF bombed the entrances to Site 99 shortly after the fall of the Assad regime to prevent access to the facility.

For more than a year, U.S. and Israeli officials have discussed how to handle the site. Israel made clear to the Trump administration that it would not tolerate the nuclear material remaining there and threatened to strike the facility again if the material was not removed or if there were signs Syria was attempting to access it. A U.S. official said that despite Israel’s concerns, it was never on the verge of bombing the site.

The U.S. and Israel ultimately agreed that the best approach was to secure the Syrian government’s cooperation in removing the material. When Washington raised the matter with Syrian officials, they said they had not known nuclear material was stored at the site. “Very few people in the U.S., Israel and Syria were aware of this,” a U.S. official said.

Several weeks ago, Israeli monitoring detected movements around Site 99 that raised suspicions that Syria’s new government was reneging on understandings and attempting to access the nuclear material. Israeli officials were also concerned that Turkey was helping Syria obtain the material. The Trump administration asked Israel not to take action and brought the IAEA into the process.

Three weeks ago, the IAEA and Syrian government signed an agreement to remove the nuclear material. The operation remains underway, and the material has not yet been removed. “We think everybody is happy with the result. Hopefully we will be able to kick off the removal process soon and end it before the end of the year,” a U.S. official said.

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