Representatives of the Syrian government and Hezbollah held secret face-to-face talks in Turkey last month, Reuters reported Thursday, in what six sources described as the first known meeting between the longtime enemies.
The sources, including two Syrian officials, a U.S. official and a senior Lebanese security source close to Hezbollah, said the Iran-backed terror group's representatives met Syrian intelligence and foreign ministry officials at least once in September. Turkish security and intelligence agencies convened the meeting in an effort to de-escalate tensions between the two sides.
According to a Syrian official, Damascus assured Hezbollah that it would not intervene militarily in Lebanon to disarm the group. In return, Syrian officials asked Hezbollah to help halt cross-border smuggling and to dismantle its remaining sleeper cells, mainly in southern Syria. Hezbollah gave no direct answer on either demand but pledged not to interfere in Syria's internal affairs. No final agreement was reached.
The report comes days after Syria said on Tuesday that it had captured a Hezbollah cell preparing to launch rockets from southern Syria, an area bordering Israel. Hezbollah denied the allegation.
Hezbollah sent thousands of fighters to Syria during the civil war to prop up the regime of Bashar al-Assad. Since Assad was toppled in late 2024, relations between the group and Syria's new government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa have been hostile, with Damascus accusing Hezbollah of moving weapons through Syrian territory. The United States has encouraged Syria's military to send forces into Lebanon to fight Hezbollah.
Three of the sources said Turkey, a key backer of al-Sharaa, pushed for the meeting because it wanted a direct role in the effort. The Lebanese source said contacts through Turkey began about two months ago. Iran, Hezbollah's main sponsor, did not take part.
The Lebanese source said Hezbollah's main concern was protecting its flank against a possible Syrian move against it inside Lebanon. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said in a televised address last month that the group had no objection to meeting Syria's leadership.
Syria's foreign ministry, Turkey's foreign and defense ministries and the U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Hezbollah's media office declined to comment.
