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BEIRUT (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice telephoned Lebanon's prime minister on Tuesday to discuss renewed U.N. Security Council pressure to disarm the Hizbollah guerrilla group.

"They discussed the U.N. Security Council statement over the situation in Lebanon and resolution 1559," a statement from Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's office said.

It gave no further details.

On Monday, a unanimous Security Council put fresh pressure on Lebanon to disarm Hizbollah, which is backed by Syria and Iran, in line with resolution 1559 adopted in September 2004.

A council statement also urged Lebanon to conduct free and fair presidential elections without outside interference and called on Syria to take measures to stem the flow of arms and people into its smaller neighbour.

Syria last year withdrew its troops from Lebanon, ending a 29-year military presence under international and local pressure following the assassination of Lebanese former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri in February.

But Hizbollah has yet to disarm and has joined the Lebanese government after a landslide victory in parliamentary elections held in June, after the Syrian withdrawal.

The United States has long classified Shi'ite Muslim Hizbollah as a terrorist group and Syria is a fixture on its list of state sponsors of terrorism.

Washington has put increasing pressure on Damascus to stop interfering in Lebanon, quit backing Hizbollah and prevent insurgents from crossing its borders to fight in Iraq.

Syria is also under pressure to comply with a U.N. investigation that has already implicated its security officials in Hariri's murder. Damascus denies any role in the murder and says it is doing its best to control its borders.



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