JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia — U.S. Secretary John Kerry and Saudi Arabia are standing firmly against Syrian President Bashar Assad, condemning him for bolstering his forces with foreign fighters and insisting that an international conference be convened to craft a political solution to end the bloody civil war.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, a key ally of the United States and foe of Iran, says Assad's addition of Hezbollah and Iranian fighters to the battlefield is a critical turn of events that cannot be ignored. He says Syria is now an occupied land — a development that requires speedy action by the international community.

Kerry, on a trip through the Mideast and Asia, says the U.S. remains convinced that an international conference offers the best chance to bring about a political solution.