Syrian government officials and representatives of Hezbollah held secret face-to-face talks in Turkey last month in an effort to ease tensions between the two sides, according to six sources familiar with the meeting. The reported talks would mark the first known direct meeting between Syria’s new government and the Iran-aligned Lebanese group.

The sources included two Syrian officials, a US official and a senior Lebanese security source close to Hezbollah. They said Syrian intelligence and foreign ministry officials met Hezbollah representatives at the invitation of Turkish security and intelligence agencies. The meeting focused on reducing tensions and addressing security concerns.

However, Turkey and Syria denied the report after its publication. The Turkish Presidency’s communications directorate said it was "entirely unfounded" that Syrian government officials and Hezbollah officials met in Turkey. "The claims in these posts regarding the date, venue, content and contacts do not reflect any reality and are entirely fabricated and speculative,” it said in a statement on X. Syria’s English-language government account on X also denied the meeting, saying "these claims are false."

The reported meeting comes after years of hostility between Damascus and Hezbollah. The group had sent fighters to Syria to support former President Bashar al-Assad during the civil war. After Assad was ousted in late 2024, tensions increased between Hezbollah and Syria’s new government. Damascus accused Hezbollah of moving weapons through Syrian territory. Washington also encouraged Syria to send forces into Lebanon to fight the group.

According to the sources, the talks focused on resolving these tensions. One Syrian official said both sides agreed they would harbour no hostility towards each other. Syria also assured Hezbollah that it would not intervene militarily in Lebanon to disarm the group. In return, Syrian officials asked Hezbollah to stop cross-border smuggling and dismantle its remaining sleeper cells, especially in southern Syria.

Syria recently said it had captured a Hezbollah cell allegedly preparing to launch rockets in southern Syria. Hezbollah denied involvement and said it "has no presence whatsoever on Syrian territory ‌and has no ⁠involvement in any security or military activity there." Hezbollah representatives reportedly did not directly accept Syria’s requests but pledged not to interfere in Syrian affairs. A Lebanese security source said the two sides "made a lot of progress on security issues." The source added, "Hezbollah wants to protect its flank," referring to concerns over possible Syrian military action against the group in Lebanon.

No final agreement was reached, and no announcement was planned, the sources said. Contact between the two sides through Turkey had reportedly started around two months earlier. Reuters could not independently confirm the meeting’s exact location, duration or whether further meetings took place.

Turkey was reportedly the main force behind the talks. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said in July that Damascus was open to meeting Hezbollah. A month later, Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem also said the group had no objection to meeting Syria’s leadership. Three sources said Ankara wanted to play a direct role in reducing tensions and stabilising Syria.

Iran, Hezbollah’s main sponsor, was not directly involved. A Lebanese security source said Hezbollah attended with Tehran’s knowledge, but Iran was unhappy about being excluded. The source said Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa had also rejected the idea of direct ties with Iran for now. Iran’s permanent mission in Geneva did not immediately comment.