Syria and Hezbollah Hold Secret Talks in Turkey to De-escalate Tensions
Representatives of the Syrian government and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah held secret, face-to-face talks in Turkey last September to de-escalate rising regional tensions, according to six sources briefed on the discussions. The undisclosed meetings mark the first known meeting between the longtime foes following the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in late 2024.
Diplomatic Context and Turkish Mediation
The clandestine sessions took place last month at the invitation of Turkish security and intelligence agencies. Three sources confirmed that Turkey, a key ally of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, pushed for the diplomatic encounter to bolster regional stability and position Ankara as a primary facilitator of dialogue.
The talks involved Hezbollah representatives alongside Syrian intelligence and foreign ministry officials. All six sources—comprising two Syrian officials, a U.S. official, and a senior Lebanese security source close to Hezbollah—spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions. Representatives for Syria’s foreign ministry, Turkey’s foreign and defense ministries, and the U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to inquiries regarding the meetings. Hezbollah’s media office declined to comment.
Contact between Damascus and the Iran-aligned group via Turkish channels began approximately two months prior to the September sit-down, according to the Lebanese source. Both sides had previously signaled an openness to dialogue. In July, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani stated that Damascus was open to meeting the group, while Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem noted in an August televised address that his organization had no objection to communicating with Syria’s leadership.
Security Demands and Outstanding Disagreements
Discussions centered on resolving mutual security concerns. According to the U.S. official, Syrian officials, and the Lebanese source, the meetings progressed positively, with both factions agreeing they held no underlying hostility toward one another.
Syria assured Hezbollah representatives that the new government would not intervene militarily in Lebanon to disarm the group. In exchange, Damascus pressed Hezbollah to halt cross-border arms smuggling and dismantle remaining sleeper cells, particularly in southern Syria.
The diplomatic push followed friction between the two sides after Assad’s fall. Damascus accused Hezbollah of transferring weapons through Syrian territory, while the United States encouraged Syria’s military to deploy forces into Lebanon to confront the militant group.
On Tuesday, Syria reported capturing a Hezbollah cell preparing to launch rockets in southern Syria. Hezbollah denied involvement the following day, issuing a statement asserting it "has no presence whatsoever on Syrian territory and has no involvement in any security or military activity there."
A Syrian official stated that Hezbollah’s delegates did not give a direct answer regarding the request to halt smuggling and dismantle southern cells, though they did pledge not to interfere in internal Syrian affairs. The Lebanese source with direct knowledge of the talks maintained that the two parties "made a lot of progress on security issues," adding that "Hezbollah wants to protect its flank" against potential Syrian military action within Lebanon.
Iran’s Absence and Unresolved Status
Hezbollah attended the diplomatic meetings with the knowledge of its primary sponsor, Iran, according to the Lebanese security source. However, Tehran was reportedly disappointed over its lack of direct participation, as President Sharaa rebuffed any notion of establishing direct ties with Iran.
That friction over Tehran’s exclusion served as the primary reason why no final agreement was reached and no public announcement was scheduled, the Lebanese source said. Iran’s permanent mission in Geneva did not immediately provide comment on the matter.