UN disarmament official says OPCW verified irreversible destruction of 42 aerial bombs in Syria

An agency official from the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs briefed the Security Council that the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) verified the irreversible destruction of 42 aerial bombs declared by the Syrian Arab Republic.

"The OPCW verified that inventories matched recent declarations by the Syrian Arab Republic and verified the irreversible destruction of 42 aerial bombs," the agency official said. The speaker told the council this verification followed OPCW deployments and inspections in Syria carried out in mid- to late‑2026.

The official said the verification marks the first time since 2014 that the OPCW has confirmed the destruction of chemical munitions from Syria. The briefing described the outcome as the result of sustained collaboration between the OPCW technical secretariat and the Syrian authorities and said approvals are now in place to commence broader destruction activities under OPCW verification at approved facilities.

The official urged Security Council members to support the verification and destruction process, describing the developments as an important step for victims and for preserving collective security. The speaker also reiterated United Nations support for the OPCW's independence and impartiality as the verification and destruction work continues.