Hassan Fadlallah, a Hezbollah member of Parliament, was among those critical of the U.S. ship's presence, Alalam reported Saturday.

"The American move threatens the stability of Lebanon and the region and it is an attempt to spark tension," he said. "The American administration has used the policy of sending warships to support its allies in Lebanon before, and that experiment failed and backfired."

The ship's deployment sparked the headline in Lebanon's al-Akhbar newspaper, "America repeats the adventure of '82," referring the U.S. military deployment in Lebanon after the 1982 Israeli invasion, the news service said.

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said the United States is more than saber rattling.

"This is a real threat, not merely a muscle-flexing,'' Berri was quoted by Alalam as saying.

Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said Lebanon did not request the ship. Siniora said he has summoned the U.S. ambassador to seek clarifications.