The chemical weapons threat in Syria. One of the requirements set for Syria’s new regime by Western countries as a condition for lifting sanctions and providing economic assistance was full cooperation with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The Syrian regime agreed to allow OPCW representatives to visit sites and facilities that were used by the Assad regime to develop and store chemical weapons and to conduct investigations into the use of chemical weapons during the civil war.
According to an OPCW report dated 24 November 2025, OPCW’s representatives visited 19 sites (only four of which had previously been declared by the authorities in Syria); in addition, two further suspected sites were identified, around six samples and more than 6,000 documents were collected, and interviews were conducted with experts.
In addition, Syrian representatives visited two sites near Latakia that were defined by the OPCW as high priority and submitted reports that are now being examined by the OPCW; according to the OPCW, these sites are in dangerous areas where a safety protocol is required that has not yet been approved by Syria.
Nevertheless, according to the report, of 26 unresolved issues in the original Syrian declaration, only seven have been settled. The key issues that remain open include failure to report toxic substances, munitions stockpiles, and production sites. For example, the regime has still not provided information on the weapons in its possession, including sarin, sarin precursors, and chlorine.
Syria also has not provided the OPCW with a declaration of all sites where weapons used in the 2017 attacks were developed and stockpiled. Syria bears responsibility for destroying the weapons, but according to the report, given Syria’s severe economic situation, international financial and technical support (including equipment, training, experts, and logistical support) will need to be provided by the international community to complete the process.
The report’s findings indicate that, so far, cooperation by the Syrian regime has been only partial, probably as a result of the regime’s technical difficulties in locating and enabling access to all the information, sites, and people required. Addressing the issue of chemical weapons in Syria is expected to be a long and complex process, and until it is completed, the threat will not be removed.
