Officials from the transitional Syrian government and representatives of the Lebanese Hezbollah militia held secret talks in Turkey last September aimed at containing security tensions, according to Reuters on Thursday, October 1. The agency cited six informed sources, including Syrian and American officials and a Lebanese security source close to the party. The Syrian Ministry of Information denied that such a meeting took place.
Syrian intelligence and Foreign Ministry officials took part in the meeting, along with Hezbollah representatives, at the invitation of Turkish security agencies seeking to bring the two sides closer. The meeting followed a deterioration in relations between Damascus and the party, which sent fighters to Syria for years in support of the Assad government. The new authorities have since accused it of smuggling weapons through Syrian territory, while the United States has encouraged the Syrian army to send forces into Lebanon to fight the party. The sources did not disclose the location or duration of the meeting.
Security Understandings Without a Final Agreement
The talks focused on resolving security disputes. A Syrian official described them as positive, saying the two sides agreed there was no mutual hostility and that Damascus pledged not to intervene militarily in Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah. In return, the Syrian officials asked the party to help stop arms smuggling across the border and to dismantle its cells, especially in southern Syria. Hezbollah pledged not to interfere in Syrian affairs, without responding directly to the demands.
The demands came after the Syrian authorities announced on Tuesday the arrest of a cell affiliated with Hezbollah that was preparing to launch rockets in the south of the country. The party denied this the next day, affirming that it has no security or military activity inside Syria.
The report quoted a Lebanese security source as saying that the two sides made progress on security files, noting that Hezbollah is seeking to protect its borders and positions in Lebanon from any potential Syrian attack. Even so, they did not reach a final agreement and did not plan to announce the meeting, according to the sources.
Turkey Leads the Mediation, Iran Outside the Talks
The meeting came on a Turkish initiative, as part of efforts by Ankara, a key ally of Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, to address regional tensions and strengthen stability in Syria. It was preceded by Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shibani’s announcement in July that Damascus was open to meeting Hezbollah, while the party’s Secretary-General Naim Qassem said in a televised speech in August that the party does not object to meeting the Syrian leadership. According to three sources, Turkey pushed for the meeting, and contacts began through its mediation about two months ago.
Iran was absent from the talks, even though it knew about them in advance and approved the party’s participation, according to the Lebanese security source. The source pointed to Tehran’s displeasure at being excluded, especially after Sharaa’s refusal to establish direct relations with it for now.
The talks come as part of the new Syrian government’s efforts to reorder its regional relations, amid differences over Iran’s role and tensions with Hezbollah. The Syrian, Turkish and American foreign ministries, and the Turkish defense ministry, did not respond to Reuters’ inquiries, while Hezbollah’s media office declined to comment.
The talks reflect the complexities of how the transitional Syrian authorities manage their regional relations, given the fallout from earlier military interventions, the overlap between Syrian and Lebanese security files, and the competition for influence. This makes border and security understandings one of Damascus’s main challenges.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
