International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi reported at a media conference in Vienna on Monday that Syria's Assad-era nuclear facility was configured to produce materials that could be used for nuclear weapons. The reactor was capable of producing fissile material directly usable in the manufacture of nuclear weapons. Grossi's comments came a week after the UN nuclear watchdog disclosed in a confidential report that it had visited several sites in Syria in August and conducted verification work. The IAEA stated that based on observations at the Deir Az Zor site, it has confirmed that the cooling infrastructure now found is consistent with that of a nuclear reactor. The agency added that it will continue to monitor activities at the site as excavation work progresses.