Secret Talks Between Syrian Government and Hezbollah

Representatives of the Syrian government and Hezbollah held direct and secret talks in Turkey last month in an attempt to calm tensions between the two sides, according to Reuters, citing six informed sources on Thursday.

The sources said the meeting was the first known of its kind between the two parties, and that at least one meeting took place during September, at the invitation of Turkish security and intelligence agencies.

According to the sources, which included two Syrian officials, a US official, and a senior Lebanese security source close to Hezbollah, the meeting brought together Hezbollah representatives and officials from Syrian intelligence and the foreign ministry.

The sources spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the previously undisclosed meeting.

The talks come after years of enmity, during which Hezbollah sent fighters to Syria to support the government of former President Bashar al-Assad during the civil war.

Following the overthrow of the Assad regime in late 2024, tensions escalated between the new Syrian government and Iran-aligned Hezbollah, with Damascus accusing the group of transporting weapons across Syrian territory.