UN chief worried conflict in Syria could get worse

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (right) is stressing the need to prevent the situation in Syria from “spiralling out of control”.

This came after US President Donald Trump put Syria and Russia on notice yesterday morning in a Twitter post, promising that missiles fired at Syria “will be coming, nice and new and ‘smart!’” and telling the Kremlin that it should not partner with a “Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!”

With American strike intentions so clearly forecast by Mr Trump, the Syrian governallies ment has moved key aircraft to the Russian base near Latakia, and is taking pains to secure important weapons systems, military analysts said.

Pentagon officials said that even if Syrian warplanes manage to elude an American-led strike campaign, the US and its could still seek to damage Syrian airfields.

The UN chief called the ambassadors of the five vetowielding permanent council nations – the US, Russia, China, Britain and France – “to reiterate my deep concern about the risks of the current impasse”.

Mr Guterres also renewed his “outrage” at reports of continued chemical weapons use in Syria.

Earlier, the council rejected rival US and Russian resolutions for a new body to determine responsibility for chemical weapons attacks in Syria.