Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is urging Syria and Iran to support the transformation of Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group from an armed militia to a political party, the Associated Press reported.
A U.N. envoy has told the U.N. Security Council that Ban is very concerned that the process of rearmament in Lebanon may be accelerating as a result of clashes last spring which saw Hezbollah's gunmen and Shiite allies defeat Sunni groups backing the government.
Terje Roed-Larsen says the secretary-general is calling on Hezbollah to comply with a 2004 council resolution demanding the disarmament of all militias.
He also says Ban is gravely concerned at the apparent strengthening of extremist elements and foreign fighters in and around the northern city of Tripoli.