The Syrian government denied reports that it held meetings with Hezbollah in Turkey. The Turkish government also denied that a meeting between Syria and Hezbollah took place. Syrian government said: "These claims are false. No such meeting took place." "has no presence whatsoever on Syrian territory and has no involvement in any security or military activity there," Hezbollah said.

The sources reporting the meeting included two Syrian officials, a US official, and a senior Lebanese security source close to Hezbollah. The meeting involved Hezbollah representatives and Syrian intelligence and foreign ministry officials. The meeting took place at the invitation of Turkish security and intelligence agencies.

One of the Syrian officials said both sides agreed they held no hostility towards one another. Syria assured Hezbollah that it would not intervene militarily in Lebanon to disarm the group. Syrian officials asked Hezbollah to help stop cross-border smuggling attempts and dismantle its remaining sleeper cells, particularly in southern Syria.

Hezbollah's representatives did not give a direct answer on the request to halt arms smuggling and dismantle its Syria-based cells but pledged not to interfere in Syria's affairs. Both the Syrian official and the Lebanese source said no final agreement had been reached and that no announcement had been planned.

Contact between Syria and Hezbollah via Turkey began about two months prior to the reported meeting. Three sources said Turkey pushed for the meeting as it was keen to be directly involved in regional stabilization efforts. Iran was absent from the meetings, though Hezbollah attended with Iran's knowledge.

Timeline

On April 6, 2017, the United States launched air strikes against a Syrian government airfield, marking a new development in Syria's long-running civil war. The State Department published notice titled Imposition of Nonproliferation Measures Against Foreign Persons, Including a Ban on U.S. Government Procurement on August 10, 2021. In July 2026, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said Damascus was open to meeting Hezbollah. In August 2026, Hezbollah chief Qassem said in a televised address that the group had no objection to meeting Syria's leadership.

What's New

The Turkish government labeled the claim of a meeting as "baseless" in a statement on X. The Turkish Directorate of Communications explicitly labeled the allegations of a Syria-Hezbollah meeting as 'entirely unfounded' and 'fabricated and speculative' in an official statement released on October 1, 2026. The meeting between Syrian officials and Hezbollah representatives took place in September 2026.

Why It Matters

The denial of the meeting by both Syria and Turkey contrasts with reports from multiple sources that the talks occurred. The Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) has previously mediated high-level regional talks, including 2023 discussions between Syrian opposition groups and Turkish officials, suggesting a pattern of involvement in Syria-related diplomacy. Hezbollah's military and security activities have been prohibited by the Lebanese government since March 2026.