Poison gas in Syria

Russia and the US moved closer to direct confrontation this week when Donald Trump warned Syria and its Russian allies there would be a “big price to pay” for a suspected chemical attack on Syrian citizens that left at least 48 dead. The president said all options were “on the table” for punishing the “heinous” use of chemical weapons – allegedly chlorine and sarin – in the rebel-held town of Douma in Eastern Ghouta, close to Damascus. Footage posted by opposition groups showed the bodies of men, women and children, some foaming at the mouth. However, at a meeting of the UN Security Council this week, Russia claimed the attack was a “fabrication” staged by the rebels.

Britain and France joined the US for emergency talks to examine options for responding to the attack. On Tuesday, Trump tweeted that Russia should “get ready”, because missiles – “nice and new and smart” – would soon be fired at its ally Syria. Russia’s ambassador to Lebanon warned that missiles would be shot down and their launch sites targeted if they threatened Russian personnel.