(AFP) -- The effects of the Lebanese political crisis rippled out across the Middle East on Tuesday, with Saudi Arabia warning Iran that it could face renewed ostracism if it had a hand in the violence that has shaken Beirut and other parts of Lebanon over the past week. "Iran's relations with all Arab countries - or even all Islamic countries - will be affected if it supported the coup that took place in Lebanon," Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said, referring to inter-party clashes that included a brief takeover of loyalist offices in western Beirut by Hizbullah and its allies.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad did not directly respond to Prince Saud's comment, at first questioning whether he had been correctly quoted and then declining to comment "out of respect for [Saudi] King Abdullah."

He added, however, that if the Saudi foreign minister had made the remarks attributed to him, they must have been uttered "in anger."

Saudi Arabia's Sunni royal family has been a staunch backer of Lebanese Premier Fouad Siniora's embattled government, while Shiite-led Iran has long supported Hizbullah, the opposition's single largest party.

The battles that broke out last week have killed at least 62 people and wounded about 200 others.

The fighting began in earnest last Thursday after Siniora's Cabinet took steps to dismantle Hizbullah's private communications network and reassign the head of security at Beirut's airport, who is reportedly close to the opposition. Hizbullah's leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, condemned the moves as a "declaration of war," and when they were not rescinded, opposition gunmen went on the offensive in the capital. The fighting spread also spread to North Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley and Druze areas south and east of Beirut.

Lebanon was relatively calm on Tuesday, but the previous six days had seen heavy fighting between opposition and pro-government gunmen. The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), which has tried to remain neutral in the struggle, announced late Monday it would impose more robust measures as of Tuesday morning.

Having already served as a go-between by taking custody of several loyalist positions after their defenders turned in their weapons over the past several days, the LAF warned that it would use force, if necessary, to prevent new clashes.

US President George W. Bush, whose country has also backed Siniora, weighed in on the crisis too, accusing both Iran and Syria of responsibility.

"I strongly condemn Hizbullah's recent efforts, and those of their foreign sponsors in Tehran and Damascus, to use violence and intimidation to bend the government and people of Lebanon to their will," Bush said Tuesday before leaving on a tour of the Middle East.

The US leader's itinerary begins in Israel, where he will help celebrate the 60th anniversary of the creation of the Jewish state. Other stops include Saudi Arabia, where he is expected to ask Riyadh to pump more oil in an effort to rein in oil prices that have added pressure on America's sputtering economy, and Egypt, where his interlocutors are scheduled to include Siniora.

Also Tuesday, the "Friends of Lebanon" group - including 12 Arab and Western countries, and the heads of the UN, the Arab League and the Council of the EU - called for an immediate end to the clashes.

"We call for the immediate cessation of fighting, the withdrawal of gunmen from the streets, the unblocking of roads and the reopening of Beirut International Airport," the group said in a statement issued at the UN. "We call for the immediate election of a president without prior conditions, the establishment of a national unity government, and the holding of general elections in conformity with an electoral law agreed upon by all parties, in accordance with the Arab League plan."

Lebanon has been without a head of state since November, when Emile Lahoud stepped down at the end of his term in office. Disputes between rival parties have prevented the holding of an election.

"We remain deeply concerned by the situation in Lebanon, which threatens the stability of the country and the region," the "Friends of Lebanon" statement said. "We express our strong support for Lebanese constitutional institutions, in particular the government and Lebanese Armed Forces. We reaffirm our strong support for the sovereignty, political independence, stability and unity of the Lebanese state."

And in London, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband blamed Hizbullah for the crisis, calling its actions "completely unacceptable" as he renewed Britain's support for Siniora.

"The attempt to disrupt the working of the government of Lebanon, the full frontal challenge to the government from Hizbullah is completely unacceptable, or should be unacceptable, to the whole of the international community," he said.

Miliband was also asked for assurances preparations were being made for the evacuation of 5,000 British citizens and their dependents from the troubled state.