ANKARA - Representatives of Syria’s new government and Lebanon’s Hezbollah held their first known face-to-face talks in Türkiye in September, discussing border security and mutual guarantees without reaching a final agreement, Reuters reported.
The meeting was arranged at the invitation of Turkish security and intelligence agencies, according to Reuters, which cited six sources briefed on the talks. They included two Syrian officials, a U.S. official and a senior Lebanese security source close to Hezbollah.
The location and duration of the meeting were not disclosed, and it was unclear whether other in-person rounds had taken place. Syria’s Foreign Ministry, Turkish ministries and the U.S. State Department did not immediately comment, while Hezbollah’s media office declined to comment.
Border Security and Mutual Assurances
Syrian representatives assured Hezbollah that Damascus would not send forces into Lebanon to disarm the group, according to the sources. Syria asked Hezbollah to help stop cross-border smuggling and dismantle remaining cells on Syrian territory, particularly in the south.
Hezbollah’s representatives pledged not to interfere in Syria’s internal affairs but did not give a direct answer to the requests concerning weapons smuggling and cells in Syria.
Syrian authorities recently said they had detained a group accused of preparing rocket launches in southern Syria and of having links to Hezbollah. The organization denied the allegation and said it had no military or other activity in Syria.
Türkiye’s Role and Iran’s Absence
Türkiye, a key partner of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, pushed for direct contact to reduce the risk of another conflict along the Syrian-Lebanese border, the sources said.
Iran, Hezbollah’s principal external backer, did not participate. A Lebanese source said Tehran knew about the meeting but was unhappy about being excluded, which contributed to the failure to reach a final agreement.
Relations between Damascus and Hezbollah deteriorated sharply after Bashar Assad was ousted in late 2024. Hezbollah had fought for years in support of Assad’s government, while many figures in Syria’s current leadership had fought against it. Vesti Baku reported the Reuters findings in Russian.