Iran was disappointed it was not directly represented at a meeting between Syrian officials and Hezbollah in Turkey last month, Reuters reported, citing a Lebanese security source, as Ankara sought to ease tensions between the two sides.
The Lebanese security source said Hezbollah attended with Tehran’s knowledge, but Iran was disappointed not to participate directly and that Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa had rejected the prospect of direct ties with Iran for now. This was the main reason no agreement was reached, the source said.
The talks were the first known face-to-face meeting between the Syrian government and the Iran-backed group. They were held secretly at the invitation of Turkish security and intelligence agencies, Reuters reported, citing six sources briefed on the discussions.
The sides discussed security concerns, including Damascus’s accusations that Hezbollah was transferring weapons through Syria and its request that the group help stop smuggling and dismantle remaining cells in southern Syria. A Syrian official said Damascus assured Hezbollah it would not intervene militarily in Lebanon to disarm it. Hezbollah, in turn, pledged not to interfere in Syria’s affairs, the official said.
No final agreement was reached, and no public announcement was planned, the sources told Reuters.
Tensions between Damascus and Hezbollah rose after Bashar al-Assad was ousted in late 2024. Hezbollah had sent fighters to Syria during the civil war to support Assad’s government. Tehran was absent from the meeting, despite being Hezbollah’s main sponsor.
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