Syria and Hezbollah Held Secret Talks in Turkey to Ease Tensions, Sources Say
Syrian government officials and representatives of Hezbollah held secret face-to-face talks in Türkiye last month in an effort to reduce tensions between Damascus and the Lebanese group, according to six sources familiar with the discussions.
The meeting, which has not previously been publicly reported, brought together Hezbollah representatives and Syrian intelligence and foreign ministry officials. The talks were reportedly arranged with the involvement of Turkish security and intelligence agencies, which have sought to play a greater role in Syria’s post-war political and security landscape.
The sources included two Syrian officials, a U.S. official and a senior Lebanese security source with knowledge of Hezbollah’s position. The sources spoke anonymously because of the sensitivity of the discussions.
First known direct meeting between the sides
The talks are significant because relations between Syria’s new government and Hezbollah have deteriorated since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in late 2024.
Hezbollah had been a major military supporter of Assad during Syria’s civil war, sending fighters to the country to defend his government. After Assad was removed from power, Syria’s political leadership changed and relations with Hezbollah became increasingly tense.
Damascus has accused Hezbollah of transferring weapons through Syrian territory and maintaining networks inside the country. Hezbollah, meanwhile, has faced the loss of the Syrian route that had historically played an important role in its regional military logistics.
The September meeting therefore represented an unusual attempt to establish direct communication between two sides that had previously been on opposing sides of Syria’s conflict.
Security concerns were central to talks
According to the sources, the discussions focused largely on security issues.
One Syrian official said the two sides agreed that they were not seeking direct confrontation. Syrian representatives reportedly assured Hezbollah that Damascus would not intervene militarily in Lebanon with the aim of disarming the group.
In return, Syrian officials asked Hezbollah to help prevent cross-border weapons smuggling and to dismantle remaining sleeper cells associated with the group, particularly in southern Syria.
The sources said Hezbollah did not provide a direct commitment on all of those demands. However, representatives reportedly indicated that the group would not interfere in Syria’s internal affairs.
A Lebanese security source familiar with the meeting said the discussions had produced significant progress on security matters, although the two sides did not reach a final agreement.
No formal deal announced
Despite the reported progress, there was no final agreement and no public announcement was planned.
The sources said communication between Syria and Hezbollah through Turkish channels had begun roughly two months before the September meeting.
Reuters reported that it could not independently confirm the exact location of the meeting in Türkiye, how long it lasted or whether additional meetings took place before or afterward. Syria’s foreign ministry, Turkey’s foreign and defense ministries and the U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to Reuters’ questions, while Hezbollah’s media office declined to comment.
That lack of official confirmation means details about the discussions remain based primarily on accounts from sources briefed on the talks.
Turkey’s growing role in Syria
Türkiye’s involvement is another important element of the meeting.
Ankara has developed close ties with Syria’s new leadership and has positioned itself as an important actor in efforts to stabilize the country after Assad’s fall. Turkey has also maintained channels of communication with Hezbollah while seeking to limit the group’s ability to create security problems inside Syria.
Three sources told Reuters that Turkish authorities encouraged the meeting because Ankara wanted to be directly involved in efforts to reduce tensions between Damascus and Hezbollah.
The development comes as Turkey seeks a larger diplomatic and security role across the region, particularly in relation to Syria’s reconstruction and border security.
Iran was not directly involved
Iran, Hezbollah’s principal regional ally, was not directly represented at the meeting, according to the sources.
The Lebanese security source said Hezbollah attended with Tehran’s knowledge, but Iran was reportedly disappointed that it was not directly involved in the discussions.
The source attributed the absence of a final agreement partly to this issue, saying Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa had rejected the possibility of direct ties with Iran at this stage.
The Iranian mission in Geneva did not immediately comment on the report.
A changing regional equation
The talks reflect the significant changes in the Middle East since Assad’s fall.
During the Syrian civil war, Hezbollah operated alongside forces supporting Assad and benefited from access through Syrian territory. The collapse of Assad’s government changed that relationship and left Hezbollah facing a different political and security environment.
At the same time, Syria’s new authorities are attempting to consolidate control over the country’s territory while managing relations with neighboring states and armed groups.
The reported discussions in Türkiye suggest that both Damascus and Hezbollah have at least some interest in preventing their tensions from escalating into a wider confrontation.
However, the absence of a formal agreement means major disagreements remain unresolved.
For now, the September meeting appears to have opened a channel for direct communication rather than produced a comprehensive settlement. Further talks, if they take place, could determine whether the contacts lead to concrete security arrangements between Syria and Hezbollah.
Source attribution: This report is based primarily on Reuters’ October 1, 2026 reporting, which cited six sources briefed on the talks, with additional context from Arab News and other regional reporting.