The United States had said on Thursday it deployed the USS Cole off the Lebanese coast because it was concerned about the political deadlock in Lebanon, provoking criticism from Hezbollah and Syria.

The nationals said they had received a text message with the advice and a hotline number was also provided. One citizen called the number to verify the information in the text message and was told it was true.

Future Television, privately owned by Saad Hariri who heads the majority anti-Syrian bloc in parliament, also said Saudi Arabia had advised its nationals to leave Lebanon 'as soon as possible.'

There was no one available at the Saudi embassy to comment on the report. On February 18, Saudi Arabia issued a travel restriction advisory, urging citizens to avoid Lebanon because of the 'unstable' security situation in the country.

Last month Saudi Arabia issued an advisory urging its citizens not to travel to Lebanon because of deteriorating political and security conditions.

Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia is a major supporter of the Sunni-led government in Lebanon which has been locked in a 15-month-old political standoff with an opposition led by Iranian-and-Syrian backed Hezbollah.

The move was adopted after some factions of the Hezbollah-led opposition have accused Saudi Arabia of blocking a settlement to the ongoing political crisis in Lebanon. It also followed sharp verbal attacks by pro-Syrian figures against Saudi officials.

The anti-Syrian majority coalition blames Syria and Iran for obstructing a settlement in Lebanon.

Observers have said major Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Gulf states, might boycott the forthcoming Arab Summit scheduled for March 29 in Damascus if the Lebanese crisis persisted.

Relations between Saudi Arabia and Syria have been deteriorating since the assassination of Lebanese ex-Premier Rafik Hariri by a powerful blast that targeted his motorcade in Beirut in 2005. Syria has been widely blamed - a charge Damascus denies.

Tension in the region has also increased after the assassination of a Hezbollah commander in the Syrian capital Damascus last month.

Hezbollah said Israel was behind the killing of Imad Moughniyah and welcomed "open war" if Israel wanted one. -Agencies