Syrian Government Denies Reported September Hezbollah Talks

Syrian government representatives and Hezbollah officials reportedly held a meeting in Türkiye in September to address security tensions, according to six people briefed on the discussions. Syria’s government denied that the meeting took place, leaving its occurrence disputed. The account, based on sources including two Syrian officials, a U.S. official and a senior Lebanese security source, describes a meeting convened at the invitation of Turkish security and intelligence agencies. The sources said Syrian intelligence and Foreign Ministry officials met Hezbollah representatives at least once. The exact location and duration were not established, and it remains unclear whether there were other face-to-face meetings. According to the sources, the discussions focused on security concerns between the sides. Syrian representatives assured Hezbollah that Syria would not intervene militarily in Lebanon to disarm the group, and asked Hezbollah to help stop cross-border smuggling and dismantle what Syrian authorities describe as remaining sleeper cells, particularly in southern Syria.