Syrian and Hezbollah representatives hold secret talks in Turkey

Representatives of the Syrian government and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah held secret, direct talks in Turkey during September to address rising regional tensions. This meeting, facilitated by Turkish intelligence and security services, represents the first known direct contact between the two parties, who have experienced increased friction following the removal of Bashar al-Assad from power in late 2024.

According to reports citing six sources, including a U.S. official and a Lebanese security source, the delegation included Syrian intelligence and foreign ministry officials along with Hezbollah representatives. The discussions focused on accusations by the new Syrian government regarding the illicit transport of weapons through its territory, as well as pressure from the United States for the Syrian military to counter Hezbollah in Lebanon. A Lebanese security source noted that while Iran was aware of the meeting, the Iranian leadership was reportedly dissatisfied with its exclusion from the direct dialogue. Damascus has thus far resisted efforts to re-establish direct ties with Tehran, which served as a primary obstacle to reaching a formal agreement or reaching any public consensus during these sessions.

No final agreement was reached at the conclusion of the September meetings. There are currently no official announcements regarding follow-up sessions or future diplomatic developments.