JEDDAH: Saudi Foreign Minister Saud Al-Faisal said Syrian President Bashar Assad is “maneuvering” to gain time.

“Every initiative has been accepted by the Syrian regime and was not implemented. This is a way used by the regime to gain time,” Prince Saud said in a joint news conference on Sunday with UN chief Ban Ki-moon in Jeddah.

“He is playing for time and maneuvering,” he said, referring to Assad.

The minister’s remarks came immediately after Assad said on Sunday that his government is faced with a foreign plot to destroy Syria.

Arab leaders on Saturday called on the United Nations to act to stop bloodshed that has persisted for nearly 15 months despite a UN-backed peace plan that includes the deployment of nearly 300 observers.

The plan was drawn up by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan, who on Saturday singled out Assad and his regime as the key to resolving the conflict as he warned of the specter of all-out sectarian warfare.

Annan “will present his report (on Syria) in a few weeks... It must be clear, straightforward, precise and transparent,” Prince Saud said. “We hope the United Nations takes a firm stance.”

Since the so-called cease-fire began on April 12, as many as 2,300 people have been killed out of the more than 13,400 to have died in Syria since the uprising against Assad’s regime began in March 2011.

Prince Saud, who has repeatedly voiced his country’s support for arming Syria’ rebels, said: “We support creating a buffer zone in Syria which the oppressed can take refuge in... but this is the responsibility of the UN Security Council as the Arab League can’t do this.”

“The real solution belies in protecting the Syrian people from the harsh military,” he said. “The people are unarmed whereas the regime receives weapons from several” countries.

“The situation is very dangerous. We hope things don’t deteriorate further,” he added.

Because of the worsening violence and Assad’s failure to meet commitments under the agreed peace plan, the United States has warned that it may not agree to renew the UN observer mission when its mandate expires on July 20.