Key facts
- Syrian government and Hezbollah representatives held secret face-to-face talks in Turkey last month.
- The meeting was facilitated by Turkish security and intelligence agencies.
- Syria accused Hezbollah of transferring arms through Syria after Bashar al-Assad's ouster.
- Syria assured Hezbollah it would not intervene militarily in Lebanon.
- Syrian officials asked Hezbollah to stop cross-border smuggling and dismantle sleeper cells in southern Syria.
- Hezbollah denied involvement in a reported rocket-launching cell in southern Syria.
Representatives of the Syrian government and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah held secret face-to-face talks in Turkey last month to de-escalate tensions between them, according to six sources briefed on the meeting. This marks the first known meeting between the longtime foes.
The meeting, which took place at the invitation of Turkish security and intelligence agencies, involved Syrian intelligence and foreign ministry officials, and Hezbollah representatives. The sources, including two Syrian officials, a U.S. official, and a senior Lebanese security source close to Hezbollah, spoke on condition of anonymity.
Following the ouster of former President Bashar al-Assad in late 2024 by a rebel offensive, tensions had risen between Syria's new government and Hezbollah. Damascus accused the group of transferring arms through Syria, while the United States encouraged Syria's military to send forces into Lebanon to fight Hezbollah.
Officials discussed mutual security concerns, with both sides agreeing they held no hostility toward one another. Syria assured Hezbollah it would not intervene militarily in Lebanon to disarm the group. In turn, Syrian officials asked Hezbollah to help stop cross-border smuggling attempts and dismantle its remaining sleeper cells, particularly in southern Syria. Hezbollah's representatives did not give a direct answer on these requests but pledged not to interfere in Syria's affairs. A Lebanese source with direct knowledge of the meeting stated that significant progress was made on security issues, with Hezbollah wanting to protect its flank from a potential Syrian attack within Lebanon. However, no final agreement was reached, and no announcement was planned.
Contact between the parties via Turkey had begun about two months prior to the September meeting. Both Hezbollah and Syria's government had previously signaled openness to dialogue. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani stated in July that Damascus was open to meeting the group, and Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said in August that the group had no objection to meeting Syria's leadership.
Turkey, a key ally of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, pushed for the meeting as it seeks to position itself as a facilitator of regional dialogue and boost stability. Notably absent from the meetings was Iran, Hezbollah's main sponsor. While Hezbollah attended with Iran's knowledge, Tehran was reportedly disappointed not to be a direct participant, which the Lebanese security source cited as a main reason for the lack of a final agreement or announcement.