WASHINGTON/BEIRUT (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump warned Russia on Wednesday of imminent military action in Syria over a suspected poison gas attack, declaring that missiles “will be coming” and lambasting Moscow for standing by Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Trump was reacting to a warning from Assad’s main ally Russia on Tuesday that any U.S. missiles fired at Syria over the deadly assault on a rebel enclave would be shot down and the launch sites targeted.

“Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and ‘smart!’,” Trump wrote in a post on Twitter.

“You shouldn’t be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!” Trump said, referring Moscow’s alliance with Assad.

In response, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a Facebook post that “smart missiles should fly towards terrorists, not towards the lawful government”, referring to Syrian rebels and Assad respectively.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said any U.S. missile strike could be an attempt to destroy evidence of the reported chemical weapons attack in the Syrian town of Douma, for which Damascus and Moscow have denied any responsibility.

After the attack, the rebel group holed up in Douma - Jaish al-Islam - finally agreed to withdraw from the town. That sealed a major victory for Assad in Syria’s civil war, crushing a protracted rebellion in the eastern Ghouta region near Damascus.

Officials at the White House did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for more details about Trump’s comments on the planned military action. The U.S. Defense Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The World Health Organization said on Wednesday that 43 people had died in Saturday’s attack on Douma from “symptoms consistent with exposure to highly toxic chemicals”, and more than 500 in all had been treated.

Moscow’s threat to down U.S. missiles came from its ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Zasypkin, who said he was referring to a statement by President Vladimir Putin and the Russian armed forces chief of staff.

Zasypkin also said that any hostilities with Washington should be avoided and Moscow was ready for negotiations.

But his remarks could raise fears of direct conflict for the first time between major powers backing opposing sides in Syria’s protracted civil war.

Oil prices hit their highest level in more than three years on Wednesday after Trump’s threat to unleash missiles, and U.S. stock index futures fell sharply over rising concern about possible Russian-U.S. conflict over Syria.

The Kremlin said earlier on Wednesday it hoped all sides involved in Syria would avoid doing anything to destabilize an already fragile situation in the Middle East, and made clear it strongly opposed any U.S. strike on its ally.

Moscow and Washington stymied attempts by each other at the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday to set up international investigations into chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

Trump canceled on Tuesday a planned trip to Latin America later this week to focus instead on talks with Western allies about possible military action to punish Assad over the suspected gas attack.

Trump had warned on Monday of a quick, forceful response once responsibility for the attack was established.

“If there is a strike by the Americans, then ... the missiles will be downed and even the sources from which the missiles were fired,” Zasypkin, the Russian ambassador, told Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV, speaking in Arabic.

The Russian military said on March 13 that it would respond to any U.S. strike on Syria by targeting any missiles and launchers involved. Russia is Assad’s most powerful ally and its devastating air power has helped him wrest back large areas of territory from rebels since 2015.

Zasypkin also said a clash between Russia and the United States over Syria “should be ruled out and therefore we are ready to hold negotiations”.

Any U.S. strike is likely to involve the navy, given the risk to aircraft from Russian and Syrian air defence systems. A U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer, the USS Donald Cook, is in the Mediterranean.

With tensions growing, pan-European air traffic control agency Eurocontrol warned airlines to exercise caution in the eastern Mediterranean due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria over the next 72 hours.

Eurocontrol said that air-to-ground and cruise missiles could be used within that period and there could be intermittent disruptions of radio navigation equipment.

Aviation regulators have been stepping up monitoring of conflict zones since Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was downed by a surface-to-air missile over Ukraine in 2014, killing all 298 people on board. Recent warnings have tended to be after military action has started, and so Eurocontrol’s pre-emptive notice suggests a heightening of regulatory scrutiny.

Both Russia and Iran, Assad’s other main ally, have warned his enemies against military action in recent days, underlining their commitment to the Syrian government they have armed and supported through years of conflict.

Ali Akbar Velayati, the top adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said during a visit to Damascus on Tuesday that an Israeli attack on an air base in Syria earlier this week would “not remain without response”.

On Monday, U.N. Syria peace envoy Staffan de Mistura cited the air base strike along with other recent events in Syria in a briefing to the Security Council, cautioning against a “situation of uncontrollable escalation”.

Syria’s Russian-supplied air defences shot down an Israeli F-16 jet in February during a previous bombing run against what Israel described as Iranian-backed positions in Syria.

Last year, the United States carried out strikes from two Navy destroyers against a Syrian air base after another toxic gas attack on a rebel-controlled pocket.

The U.S. and Russian militaries have sought to avoid conflict in Syria, notably last year in the Euphrates River Valley where they supported rival sides in the campaign against Islamic State militants.

However, U.S. forces in February killed or injured hundreds of Russian contractors fighting on Assad’s side during a confrontation in Deir al-Zor province.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that any military action would not target the Syrian government’s allies or anybody in particular, but rather the Syrian government’s chemical facilities.

Any U.S. strike similar to the limited one launched last year would not cause a shift in the course of the war that has been going Assad’s way since Russia intervened on his side.

The WHO said that among the more than 500 people treated for symptoms of gas poisoning in Douma, “there were signs of severe irritation of mucous membranes, respiratory failure and disruption to central nervous systems of those exposed”.

France and Britain discussed with the Trump administration how to respond to the Douma attack. Both stressed that the culprit still needed to be confirmed.

The Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said Assad’s government had been asked to make necessary arrangements for an OPCW investigation team to visit shortly.

The mission will aim to determine whether banned munitions were used but not assign blame.

Despite the international revulsion over chemical weapons attacks, the death toll from such incidents in Syria is only a fraction of the hundreds of thousands of combatants and civilians killed since the war erupted in 2011. </s> Donald Trump has hit out at Russian and Iranian support of the Syrian regime

Donald Trump has warned Russia and Iran there will be a "big price to pay" for backing the Syrian regime after a suspected chemical attack.

The US President condemned as "mindless" and "SICK" reports of at least 70 people being killed, and a further 500 injured, in an alleged chlorine gas attack in the city of Douma in eastern Ghouta.

Mr Trump and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron also vowed a "strong, joint response" during a phone conversation, the White House said on Sunday evening.

It added that the regime of Syrian President Bashar al Assad "must be held accountable for its continued human rights abuses".

:: 'Hell on earth': What's happening in Syria?

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There has been no independent verification of the claims - made by the White Helmets rescue service and other opposition-linked medical relief groups - of a chemical attack.

However, the EU has said the "evidence points toward yet another chemical attack".

:: Several dead after missiles hit airfield in Homs

Babies caught up in 'chemical attack'

Nine countries have called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the reports: the UK, France, the US, Poland, Netherlands, Sweden, Kuwait, Peru and Ivory Coast. It is due to take place later.

The allegations have been denied by the Syrian government and Russia, with the latter separately calling for a Security Council meeting over "threats to international peace and security".

:: Syrian opposition and Russia reach agreement over Douma

Syrian media accused anti-Assad fighters in Douma of making "chemical attack fabrications" and added that allegations of toxic gas use are an "unconvincing broken record".

Iran branded the allegations as a "conspiracy" against Mr Assad, and warned that any US military intervention would "certainly complicate the situation" in Syria and the wider region.

Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018 ....to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018

The country's official IRNA news agency said the alleged attack had been condemned by the foreign ministry, which said in a statement: "Such allegations and accusations by the Americans and certain Western countries signal a new conspiracy against the Syrian government and people, and a pretext for military action."

It continued: "With the Syrian army having the upper hand on the ground against the armed terrorists, it would not be rational for it to use chemical weapons."

Mr Trump had earlier tweeted: "Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price...

"....to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!"

.@POTUS & I closely monitoring likely chemical attack in Syria. We condemn in the strongest possible terms the assault on innocent lives, including children. The Assad regime & its backers MUST END their barbaric behavior. As POTUS said, big price to pay for those responsible! — Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) April 8, 2018

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson described the allegations of a chlorine gas attack in the rebel holdout as "deeply disturbing" and called for an immediate investigation by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

"It is truly horrific to think that many of the victims were reportedly families seeking refuge from airstrikes in underground shelters," he said.

"Despite Russia's promise in 2013 to ensure Syria would abandon all of its chemical weapons, international investigators mandated by the UN Security Council have found the Assad regime responsible for using poison gas in at least four separate attacks since 2014."

"These latest reports must urgently be investigated and the international community must respond."

Image: People rush to help a distressed young child after the alleged chemical attack in Douma

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: "The horrific deaths and injuries in Douma point to a chemical attack which must be fully investigated by the UN and those responsible held to account.

"The need to restart real negotiations for peace and a political settlement in Syria could not be more urgent."

Image: Douma in eastern Ghouta has been dubbed 'hell on earth'

The EU has called on Russia and Iran as "supporters of the regime" to use their influence with Damascus to prevent a similar attack.

Last year, the UN was among those blaming Syrian government forces for a deadly sarin gas attack on the opposition-held village of Khan Sheikhun in which at least 100 people died.

That attack prompted the US to launch several dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian air base, which President Trump said was meant to "prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly weapons".

April 2017: Syrian TV shows 'missiles hitting airbase'

Responding to the latest allegations, the Russian foreign ministry warned: "The goal of these false speculations, which are not substantiated by any facts, is to cover up terrorists and irreconcilable radical opposition, which opposes political settlement, and to simultaneously try to justify potential external military strikes.

"It is necessary to once again caution that military intervention under false and fabricated pretexts in Syria, where the Russian servicemen stay at the request of the legitimate government, is absolutely unacceptable and may trigger the gravest consequences."

British MP Johnny Mercer, who has previously claimed it was "the biggest foreign policy mistake of the decade" not to take military action in Syria, tweeted: "Look at the consequences of inaction." </s> President Trump on Sunday condemned a Saturday chemical attack in Syria and criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iran for backing Syrian President Bashar al Assad, who Mr. Trump called an “animal.”

“Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world,” the president tweeted.

“President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price…to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!” Mr. Trump said.

Dozens of people were reportedly killed on Saturday in a chemical attack in Douma amid continued tensions between opposition activists and Syrian government forces. The Syrian government denied the allegations.

The attack in Douma comes almost exactly a year after a chemical attack in the northern Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun killed dozens of people. That attack prompted the U.S. to launch several dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian air base.

On Sunday, Mr. Trump blamed President Obama for Mr. Assad’s continued hold on power in the region, saying Mr. Obama failed to enforce his own “red line” on the use of chemical weapons.

“If President Obama had crossed his stated Red Line In The Sand, the Syrian disaster would have ended long ago! Animal Assad would have been history!” Mr. Trump tweeted.

Sen. Lindsey Graham said Sunday that Mr. Trump is now confronted with a defining moment of his presidency, amid talk that he would like to de-escalate the U.S. military presence in the region.

“President Trump can reset the table here,” Mr. Graham said on ABC’s “This Week.” “If it becomes a tweet without meaning, then he’s hurt himself with North Korea. If he doesn’t follow through and live up to that tweet, he’s going to look weak in the eyes of Russia and Iran.”

“So this is [a] defining moment, Mr. President,” he said. “You need to follow through that tweet - show resolve that Obama never did to get this right.”

Douma is the last rebel stronghold in the suburbs of Damascus known as eastern Ghouta.

A chemical attack in eastern Ghouta in 2013 that was widely blamed on government forces killed hundreds of people, prompting the U.S. to threaten military action before later backing down.

Syrian opposition activists and rescuers said Sunday that the poison gas attack in Douma killed at least 40 people and that families were found suffocated in their homes and shelters, with foam on their mouths.

While the reports could not be independently verified, the opposition-linked Syrian Civil Defense were able to document 42 fatalities but were impeded from searching further by strong odors that gave their rescuers difficulties breathing, said Siraj Mahmoud, a spokesman for the group, which is known as the White Helmets.

A joint statement by the Civil Defense and the Syrian American Medical Society, a relief organization, said more than 500 people, mostly women and children, were brought to medical centers with difficulty breathing, foaming at the mouth, and burning of the eyes. It said patients gave off a chlorine-like smell. Some had blue skin, a sign of oxygen deprivation.

It said the symptoms were consistent with chemical exposure. One patient, a woman, had convulsions and pinpoint pupils, suggesting exposure to a nerve agent.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 80 people were killed in Douma on Saturday, including around 40 who died from suffocation. But it said the suffocations were the result of shelters collapsing on people inside.

The attacked occurred amid a resumed offensive by Syrian government forces after the collapse on Friday afternoon of a 10-day truce with the Army of Islam rebel group.

But in a statement posted on the state-run news agency SANA, the Syrian government strongly denied the allegations. It said the claims were “fabrications” by the Army of Islam, calling it a “failed attempt” to impede government advances.

Russia, the Syrian government most powerful ally — also denied any involvement in the alleged gas attack.

On Sunday, Maj. Gen. Yuri Yevtushenko was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying Russia was prepared to “promptly send Russian specialists in radiation, chemical and biological protection to Douma after its liberation from fighters to gather data that will confirm the fabricated nature of these statements.”

Mr. Yevtushenko said “a number of Western countries” are trying to prevent the resumption of an operation to remove Army of Islam fighters from Douma and “to this end they are using the West’s pet theme of the use of chemical weapons by Syrian forces.”

Syria denies ever using chemical weapons during the seven-year civil war, and says it eliminated its chemical arsenal under a 2013 agreement brokered by the U.S. and Russia after the attack in eastern Ghouta.
• This article is based in part on wire service reports. </s> President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, April 10, 2018.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defying Russian warnings against U.S. military strikes in Syria, President Donald Trump said Wednesday that missiles "will be coming" in response to Syria's suspected chemical attack that killed at least 40 people.

"Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria," Trump tweeted. "Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!' You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!"

Trump did not detail what a strike would look like, or whether these would be U.S. missiles. U.S. officials have been consulting with global allies on a possible joint military response to Syria's alleged poison gas attack. Trump canceled a foreign trip in order to manage a crisis that is testing his vow to stand up to Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Syria's Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that his threats are "reckless" and endanger international peace and security.

Trump's tweet also drew a quick response from Russia's Foreign Ministry. Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Facebook that "smart" missiles would destroy any evidence of a chemical weapons attack.

The term "smart" missile dates to the introduction decades ago of weapons with advanced guidance systems — for example, using GPS — to achieve greater precision in targeting. The term was meant to contrast with "dumb" bombs lacking such technology. Virtually all U.S. missiles now have advanced guidance systems.

Russian lawmakers have warned the United States that Moscow would view an airstrike on Syria as a war crime and that it could trigger a direct military clash between the two former Cold War adversaries. Russia's ambassador to Lebanon said any missiles fired at Syria would be shot down and the launching sites targeted — a stark warning of a potential major confrontation.

Shortly after warning that missiles were coming, Trump tweeted that the U.S. "relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War." Then, striking a more conciliatory tone, he said: "There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?"

Trump's administration has sought to show toughness on Russia, with a series of economic and diplomatic actions, including new sanctions last week against government officials and oligarchs. Trump has largely avoided criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin by name, though he singled him out in a tweet over the weekend for supporting Assad.

In the past, Trump has condemned others for forecasting military plans, repeatedly blistering President Barack Obama during the 2016 election campaign. During one speech, he said, "We must as a nation be more unpredictable. We are totally predictable. We tell everything. We're sending troops. We tell them. We're sending something else. We have a news conference. We have to be unpredictable."

The U.S., France and Britain have been in extensive consultations about launching a military strike as early as the end of this week, U.S. officials have said. A joint military operation, possibly with France rather than the U.S. in the lead, could send a message of international unity about enforcing the prohibitions on chemical weapons and counter Syria's political and military support from Russia and Iran.

French President Emmanuel Macron said his nation, the U.S. and Britain will decide how to respond. He called for a "strong and joint response" to the attack in the Syrian town of Douma on Saturday, which Syrian activists and rescuers say killed at least 40 people. The Syrian government denies responsibility.

The French president does not need parliamentary permission to launch a military operation. France is already involved in the U.S.-led coalition created in 2014 to fight the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq. Multiple IS terror attacks have targeted France, including one last month.

Trump suggested Monday he had little doubt that Syrian government forces were to blame for what he said was a chemical attack, but neither he nor other administration officials have produced hard evidence. This is in contrast to an incident one year ago in which U.S. intelligence agencies had video and other evidence of certain aspects of the actual attack, which involved the use of sarin gas. Trump responded then by launching Navy cruise missiles at a Syrian airfield.

One official said the U.S., France and Britain were considering military options that would be more extensive than the punitive, one-day strike last April. The three countries are discussing a range of options, including preventing Assad from conducting future attacks by striking military capabilities involved in carrying out such attack, the official said.

That official was not authorized to speak publicly and commented only on condition of anonymity.

Macron, asked whether France would take military action, said his country would continue discussing technical and strategic information with U.S. and British allies and "in the coming days we will announce our decision." He said any action would "target chemical weapons" stocks. Under a 2013 agreement for which Russia was a guarantor, Syria was to have eliminated all its chemical weapons, but it has used chlorine and perhaps other chemicals since then.

Trump spoke by phone with British Prime Minister Theresa May. A British government statement said the two agreed the attack in Syria was "utterly reprehensible" and the international community must respond "to uphold the worldwide prohibition on the use of chemical weapons." Trump met at the White House with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who told reporters that he and Trump "see eye to eye" on Syria.

Qatar hosts the United States' main air operations center for the Middle East, which would coordinate any American air attack in Syria.

A watchdog agency, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, announced that it would "shortly" send a fact-finding mission to Douma, after receiving a request from the Syrian government and its Russian backers to investigate the allegations. It was not immediately clear whether that visit might affect any U.S. or allied military action.

The Russian military, which has troops in Syria, said on Monday that its officers had visited the site of the alleged attack and found no evidence to back up reports of poison gas being used. </s> WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Sunday condemned a “mindless CHEMICAL attack” in Syria that killed women and children, called Syrian President Bashar Assad an “animal” and delivered a rare personal criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin for supporting the Damascus government.

As Washington worked to verify the claim by Syrian opposition activists and rescuers that poison gas was used, President Trump said there would be a “big price to pay” for resorting to outlawed weapons of mass destruction. A top White House aide, asked about the possibility of a U.S. missile strike in response, said, “I wouldn’t take anything off the table.”

Just over a year ago, President Trump ordered dozens of cruise missiles to be fired at a Syrian air base after declaring there was no doubt Assad had “choked out the lives of helpless” civilians in an attack that used banned gases. White House advisers said at the time that images of hurt children helped spur the president to launch that air strike, and television new shows on Sunday aired similar depictions of suffering young Syrians.

“Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria,” President Trump tweeted. “Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!”

Saturday’s attack took place in a rebel-held town near Damascus amid a resumed offensive by Syrian government forces after the collapse of a truce. Syrian activists, rescuers and medics said a poison gas attack in Douma killed at least 40 people, with families found suffocated in their houses and shelters. The reports could not immediately be independently verified.

The developments come as President Trump has moved to dramatically scale back U.S. goals in Syria, pushing for a quick military withdrawal despite resistance from many of his national security advisers. President Trump has given no formal order to pull out the 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria or offered a public timetable other than to say the U.S. will withdraw as soon as the remaining Islamic State fighters can be vanquished.

But President Trump has signaled to his advisers that, ideally, he wants all troops out within six months.

Images released by the Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets, a volunteer organization, show children lying on the ground motionless and foaming at the mouth. The Assad government, in a statement posted on the state-run news agency SANA, denied responsibility.

President Trump was briefed about the attack by his chief of staff, John Kelly, officials said. President Trump’s homeland security adviser, Thomas Bossert, noted the timing of the suspected chemical attack — almost a year to the day of the U.S. missile strikes.

“This isn’t just the United States. This is one of those issues on which every nation, all peoples, have all agreed and have agreed since World War II, it’s an unacceptable practice,” Bossert said.

Asked about the potential for an American missile strike in response, Bossert said: “I wouldn’t take anything off the table. These are horrible photos. We’re looking into the attack at this point.”

President Trump was to meet with his senior military leadership on Monday, the same day his new national security adviser, John Bolton, assumes his post. Bolton has previously advocated significant airstrikes against Syria.

Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday deemed it a “likely chemical attack” and reiterated Trump’s threat that consequences would be coming for those responsible.

“We condemn in the strongest possible terms the assault on innocent lives, including children,” Pence tweeted. “The Assad regime & its backers MUST END their barbaric behavior.”

President Trump’s decision to single out Putin in a tweet appeared noteworthy because President Trump long has been reluctant to personally criticize the Russian leader. Even as the White House, after some delay, imposed tough new sanctions on Russia in the wake of its U.S. election meddling and suspected poisoning of a former spy on British soil, President Trump left it to others in his administration to deliver the rebukes to Moscow.

Last month, President Trump called Putin and, against the counsel of his advisers, congratulated the Russian president on his re-election and invited him to the White House. On Sunday, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, urged President Trump to “ramp up the pressure and the sanctions on the Russian government, because, without the support of Russia, I do not believe that Assad would still be in office.”

President Trump also invoked Iran in his series of tweets, further challenging Tehran while signaling he may scuttle its nuclear deal with the West. The president has often laid some blame on his predecessor, Barack Obama, for Assad’s continued grip on power after years of civil war.

Obama said in 2012 that Syria’s use of chemical weapons would be a “red line” that would change his decision-making on intervening in the war and have “enormous consequences.” After such an attack in 2013 killed hundreds outside Damascus, American ships in the Mediterranean were poised to launch missiles. But Obama pulled back after key U.S. ally Britain, as well as Congress, balked.

He opted for a Russian-backed proposal that was supposed to remove and eliminate Syria’s chemical weapons stockpiles.

“If President Obama had crossed his stated Red Line In The Sand, the Syrian disaster would have ended long ago! Animal Assad would have been history!” President Trump tweeted from the White House.

Questions about the administration’s possible response reverberated throughout Washington in the hours after the attack.

“It’s a defining moment in his presidency” that comes as Assad sees the U.S. “determination to stay in Syria waning,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.,

“If he doesn’t follow through and live up to that tweet, he’s going to look weak in the eyes of Russia and Iran,” Graham said. “You need to follow through with that tweet. Show a resolve that Obama never did to get this right.”

Graham and Bossert were on ABC’s “This Week,” and Collins appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union.” </s> HAMBURG, Germany (AP) — The United States and Russia struck an agreement Friday on a cease-fire in southwest Syria, crowning President Donald Trump’s first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. It is the first U.S.-Russian effort under Trump’s presidency to stem Syria’s six-year civil war.

The cease-fire goes into effect Sunday at noon Damascus time, according to U.S. officials and the Jordanian government, which is also involved in the deal.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who accompanied Trump in his meeting with Putin, said the understanding is designed to reduce violence in an area of Syria near Jordan’s border and which is critical to the U.S. ally’s security.

It’s a “very complicated part of the Syrian battlefield,” Tillerson told reporters after the U.S. and Russian leaders met for about 2 hours and 15 minutes on the sidelines of a global summit in Hamburg, Germany.

Of the agreement, he said: “I think this is our first indication of the U.S. and Russia being able to work together in Syria.”

For years, the former Cold War foes have been backing opposing sides in Syria’s war. Moscow has staunchly backed Syrian President Bashar Assad, supporting Syrian forces militarily since 2015. Washington has backed rebels fighting Assad. Both the U.S. and Russia oppose Islamic State militants and say they’re focused on rooting out the extremist group.

Russia’s top diplomat, who accompanied Putin in the meeting with Trump, said Russian military police will monitor the new truce. All sides will try to ensure aid deliveries to the area, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

The deal marks a new level of involvement for the Trump administration in trying to resolve Syria’s civil war.

Trump ordered some 60 cruise missiles to be fired at a Syrian air base in April after accusing Assad’s forces of a deadly chemical weapons attack. But his top military and national security advisers pointedly said they had no intentions of intervening to oust Assad. And they stopped short of endorsing Russian-led or U.N. peace mediation efforts between Assad’s government and rebel groups.

Israel also is part of the agreement, one U.S. official said, who like others wasn’t authorized to speak publicly on the matter ahead of Tillerson’s official announcement and demanded anonymity. Like Jordan, Israel shares a border with the southern part of Syria and has been concerned about a spillover of violence as well as an amassing of Iranian-aligned forces in the south of the country.

Jordanian government spokesman Mohammed Momani confirmed an accord involving his country, the U.S. and Russia. He made no reference to Israel’s participation. Syrian government forces and its allies will stay on one side of an agreed demarcation line, and rebel fighters will stick to the other side. The goal is also to enable aid to reach this area of Syria, Momani told state media.

The deal is separate from an agreement that Russia, Turkey and Iran struck earlier this year to try to establish “de-escalation zones” in Syria with reduced bloodshed. The U.S., wary of Iran’s involvement, stayed away from that effort. Follow-up talks this week in Kazakhstan were unable to produce agreement on finalizing a cease-fire in those zones.

Previous cease-fires in Syria have collapsed or failed to reduce violence for long, and it was unclear whether this deal would be any better.

Tillerson said the difference this time is Russia’s interest in seeing Syria return to stability. It’s an argument top U.S. officials such as former Secretary of State John Kerry cited regularly amid his failed efforts to end a conflict that has killed as many as a half-million people, contributed to Europe’s worst refugee crisis since World War II and allowed IS to emerge as a global terror threat.

Tillerson also repeated the U.S. position that a “long-term role for the Assad family and the Assad regime” is untenable and voiced his belief that Russia might be willing to address the future leadership of Syria, in tones reminiscent of Kerry. Up to now, Assad has rejected any proposals that would see him leave power, contributing to an impasse that has prolonged Syria’s suffering.

Earlier in the week, Syria’s military had said it was halting combat operations in the south of Syria for four days, in advance of the new round of Russian-sponsored talks in Kazakhstan. That move covered the southern provinces of Daraa, Quneitra and Sweida. Syria’s government briefly extended that unilateral cease-fire, which is now set to expire Saturday — a day before the U.S. and Russian deal was to take effect.

The U.S.-Russian cease-fire has no set end date, one U.S. official said, describing it as part of broader discussions with Moscow on lowering violence in Syria.

The agreement may also reflect Iran’s increasingly prominent role in Syria.

Washington has been resistant to letting Iranian forces and their proxy militias gain strength in Syria’s south, a position shared by Israel and Jordan. Friday’s deal could help the Trump administration retain more of a say over who fills the power vacuum left behind as the Islamic State is routed from additional territory in Syria.

In recent weeks, U.S. forces have shot down a Syrian aircraft that got too close to American forces as well as Iranian-made drones. A renewed government offensive against Western-backed rebels and Islamic militants in the contested province of Daraa also is sparking tensions, and Iranian-backed Hezbollah fighters have shifted south to join the fight.

Israel has also struck Syrian military installations on several occasions in the past few weeks after shells landed into the Israeli-controlled side of the Golan Heights Golan Heights. Ahead of the deal, media reports in Israel have suggested unease at any arrangement that relies on Russia policing areas near its frontier.

Implications for Syria aside, the deal marks the biggest diplomatic achievement for the U.S. and Russia since Trump took office. Trump’s administration has approached the notoriously strained relationship by trying to identify a few limited issues on which the countries could make progress, thereby building trust for a broader repair of ties.

Salama and Lederman reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Zeina Karam in Beirut, Lebanon, contributed to this report.

On Twitter, reach Vivian Salama at https://twitter.com/vmsalama , Josh Lederman at https://twitter.com/joshledermanAP and Ken Thomas at https://twitter.com/KThomasDC </s> BEIRUT -- The Latest on events in Syria (all times local):

The Kremlin says the presidential Security Council has voiced regret over the damage to U.S.-Russia ties inflicted by the U.S. strike on a Syrian air base.

The Kremlin said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies that the senior Russian officials who attended Friday's meeting described the U.S. action as an "act of aggression in violation of international law."

It added that the meeting's participants discussed "various issues related to the continuation of Russian air force operations in support of the Syrian army's anti-terror actions."

The Kremlin said those who spoke at the meeting voiced a "deep concern over inevitable negative consequences of such aggressive actions for joint efforts to fight terrorism."

Dozens of members of a Turkish trade union, carrying coffins, have demonstrated in front of the Iranian and Russian embassies in protest of this week's chemical weapons attack that killed more than 80 people in northern Syria.

The group of some 250 members of a pro-government union held funeral prayers for the victims of the assault in front of the Iranian embassy in the Turkish capital on Friday before marching to the Russian embassy.

They were carrying dozens of black-painted coffins with images of the attack's child victims attached.

Two Arab countries in the Gulf are backing the U.S. missile strike on Syria.

The United Arab Emirates, which hosts some 4,000 American troops, said Friday the U.S. had its "full support." Anwar Gargash, minister of state for foreign affairs, praised Trump's "courageous and wise decision." That mirrored earlier language used by Saudi Arabia.

The tiny island nation of Bahrain described the U.S. missile strike on Syria as "needed to stop the bloodshed" in that country's war. That island kingdom hosts the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet.

Rulers in both countries long have been suspicious of Iran and its influence in Syria and the greater region. Both have opposed the rule of embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Iran's parliament news agency, ICANA.ir is reporting that the country "won't be quiet" after the U.S. missile attack that hit a number of military targets in central Syria.

The Friday report quotes Allaeddin Boroujerdi, head of parliamentary committee on national security and foreign policy, as saying "Russia and Iran won't be quiet against such acts which violate interests of the region."

He said serious consequences would follow the U.S. action.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif took to Twitter on Friday to denounce the strikes, saying: "Not even two decades after 9-11, U.S. military fighting on same side as al-Qaida & ISIS in Yemen & Syria. Time to stop hype and coverups."

The U.S. strike came in fiery retaliation for this week's gruesome chemical weapons attack against civilians.

The office of Syria's President is calling the U.S. missile strike against one of its air bases in central Homs "reckless" and "irresponsible."

The statement Friday said the strikes were "shortsighted" and reflect a continuation of policy regardless of which administration that is based on targeting and "subjugating people."

The statement said the dawn attack on the Shayrat air base near Homs was not based on true facts.

The U.S. strike followed Tuesday's gruesome chemical attack in the town of Khan Sheikhoun, where more than 80 people were killed.

A Syrian official says a U.S. missile strike on an air base in the country's centre has killed seven people.

Talal Barazi, the governor of the province of Homs where the base is based, says the Friday dawn attack has also wounded nine. Initial reports said six were killed. The attack also caused extensive damage to the air base.

The Syrian military called the attack a "blatant aggression" that would undermine its war on terror.

The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin will chair a meeting of his Security Council to discuss the U.S. strikes on Syria.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov wouldn't say if Russia could use its military assets in Syria to protect Syrian facilities in case of new U.S. strikes.

He also wouldn't speculate on whether Russia's move to cut a hotline with the U.S. military in Syria could provoke collisions in the crowded skies over Syria.

Asked if Russia sees Syria as a military ally, Peskov answered positively. He argued Friday that the U.S. attack has "de facto served interests of the Islamic State and other terrorist organizations

Top European Union officials are supporting the U.S. missile strikes on military targets in Syria as a means of deterring further chemical weapons attacks by Damascus.

EU Council President Donald Tusk said in a tweet Friday that the "U.S. strikes show needed resolve against barbaric chemical attacks. EU will work with the U.S. to end brutality in Syria."

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said in a statement that he "understands efforts to deter further attacks."

He said "there is a clear distinction between airstrikes on military targets and the use of chemical weapons against civilians."

Syrian opposition activists say warplanes have carried out their first airstrike since a U.S. missile attack damaged a major air base in the central province of Homs.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the airstrike struck the northern edge of the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun where a chemical attack killed more than 80 people earlier this week.

The Observatory and Turkey-based activist Ahmad al-Ahmad said Friday's airstrike caused material damaged but no casualties. They said it was not immediately clear if the warplanes were Syrian or Russian.

The Russian military says it will help Syria beef up its air defences after the U.S. strike on a Syrian air base.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Friday that a "complex of measures" to strengthen Syrian air defenses will be done shortly to help "protect the most sensitive Syrian infrastructure facilities."

Konashenkov said "the combat efficiency of the U.S. strike was very low," adding that only 23 of the 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles reached the Shayrat air base in the province of Homs.

He said it destroyed six MiG-23 fighter jets of the Syrian air force which were under repairs, but didn't damage other Syrian warplanes at the base.

Konashenkov added that the base's runway also has been left undamaged.

Russia's foreign minister says no Russian servicemen have been hurt in a U.S. strike on a Syrian air base.

Sergey Lavrov said Friday that he was unaware of any Russian military casualties at the air base hit by U.S. cruise missiles.

Lavrov, speaking on a trip to Uzbekistan, strongly condemned the U.S. strike saying it violates international law.

Russian state TV aired the footage showing the damage from the U.S. strikes at the Syrian air base. It showed craters and pockmarks left by explosions and said that nine Syrian air force jets have been destroyed in the attack.

Syria's state TV is showing footage of the U.S. missile strike on a Syrian air base in the country's centre, showing a fast sequence of orange flashes that lit the dark sky in the distance before the crack of dawn.

The shaky footage, apparently filmed with a mobile phone camera and aired Friday, came hours after about 60 U.S. Tomahawk missiles hit the base in Homs province, causing extensive damage to the base.

In a different sequence after day break, the Syrian TV station al-Ikhbariyah showed another short clip of smoke billowing in the distance, hovering over a raging fire, the tip of which emerges and a forest of trees is in the foreground.

The Syrian government said at least six people were killed, and several wounded in the attack. Activists say the air base, hangars, fuel depot and aircraft were badly damaged. A government official said a fire raged for over an hour.

The attack is the first by U.S. aircraft against the Syrian army since the war began. The U.S is also leading an international coalition against Islamic State group militants in Syria.

Israel's president says the U.S. strike on Syria was an "appropriate response" to the "unthinkable brutality" of the chemical attacks in Syria this week that killed dozens of civilians.

Reuven Rivlin said Friday the U.S. "serves as an example to the entire free world" to support steps to end atrocities in Syria.

Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said President Trump sent a message that "war crimes" by Syrian President Bashar Assad will not be tolerated.

The country's opposition leader Isaac Herzog told Channel 10 TV that he doesn't believe the strike will impact Israel.

Israel has repeatedly warned against "game-changing" weapons reaching Hezbollah in Lebanon from Syria, which along with Iran supports the militant group. It has carried out a number of airstrikes on suspected weapon convoys en route to Hezbollah.

The leaders of Germany and France say President Bashar Assad brought American missile strikes upon himself by using chemical weapons.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande said in a joint statement Friday after talking on the phone that "President Assad alone carries responsibility for these developments" with his "repeated use of chemical weapons and his crimes against his own people."

The two leaders said their countries would continue to work with United Nations partners in "efforts to hold President Assad responsible for his criminal acts."

They called upon the international community to "join forces for a political transition in Syria" in accordance with the UN resolution.

Turkish officials continue to voice their support for the U.S. missile strike on Syria.

Turkey's foreign ministry welcomed the U.S. missile strike on Shayart air base following the chemical attack in Khan Sheikhoun as "very positive." In a written statement Friday, the ministry said steps to ensure that war crimes do not go unpunished and are held accountable "will have Turkey's full support."

Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin also called the strike "an important step," according to Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency. Kalin repeated Turkey's calls for a no-fly zone and safe zone in Syria so that "similar massacres do not happen again."

French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen says U.S. President Donald Trump is trying to be the "world's policeman" with airstrikes on Syria and is suggesting that it could backfire.

Le Pen has expressed support for Syrian President Bashar Assad in the past, and said on France-2 television Friday that she was "surprised" by Trump's sudden move.

Le Pen said that Trump indicated he would not make the U.S. "the world's policeman, and that's exactly what he did yesterday." She warned that past international interventions in Iraq and Libya have led to rising Islamic extremism.

Le Pen appeared to be distancing herself from Trump. The two have similar views and Le Pen is hoping to ride a wave of protectionist, anti-immigrant sentiment to the presidency next month.

Russia says it's suspending a deal with the U.S. to prevent mid-air collisions over Syria in response to the U.S. strike on a Syrian air base.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in Friday's statement that Moscow is suspending a memorandum with the U.S. to prevent incidents and ensure flight safety.

Under the memorandum, signed after Russia launched an air campaign in Syria in September 2015, Russia and the U.S. had exchanged information about their flights to avoid incidents in the crowded skies over Syria.

Russia has several dozen warplanes and batteries of air-defence missiles at its base in Syria.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed support for the U.S. missile attack on a Syrian government-controlled air base.

Abe on Friday said Japan understood and supported the U.S. strategy, saying the strikes were "a means to prevent further deterioration of the situation" referring to the suspected chemical attack earlier in Syria this week.

About 60 U.S. Tomahawk missiles hit the Shayrat air base, southeast of Homs, a small installation with two runways, where aircraft often take off to bomb targets in northern and central Syria.

Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it's concerned by unilateral foreign actions in Syria including the U.S. attack on a Syrian government air base on Thursday night.

Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir said Indonesia rejects the use of chemical weapons for any purpose and condemns a chemical weapons attack in Syria earlier this week that killed dozens of civilians.

But it did not praise President Donald Trump's retaliation against the government of Syria's President Bashar Assad.

Nasir says, "We are also very concerned by unilateral actions that have been taken by many parties including the recent launch of Tomahawks in response to the use of chemical weapons."

NATO's chief was warned that the United States was to launch missile strikes in Syria and is making no comment on the incident.

Jens Stoltenberg's office said Friday that "we can confirm that NATO Secretary-General was informed by the US Secretary of Defence prior to the strikes."

But it said "we refer you to the US authorities regarding the strikes in Syria."

Syrian military says the U.S. missile attack on one of its air bases in central Syria has killed six and caused extensive damage, calling it an aggression that undermines Damascus' counter terrorism operations.

The statement read on TV Friday came hours after the U.S. sent nearly 60 Tomahawk missiles into the Shayrat air base, southeast of Homs, the first American attack against the Syrian army since the war started in 2011.

General Ali Ayyoub , the chief of the General Staff of the Syrian Army, said Washington has used the chemical attack in the northern town of Khan Sheikhoun earlier this week as a "pretext" to carry out the "blatant aggression" , without knowing what really happened. Syria blames the opposition fighters of stockpiling chemical weapons.

A communication link between the U.S. and Russia used to protect their pilots flying sorties over Syria was used ahead of an American missile strike on the country.

The so-called "deconfliction line" is operated by the U.S. military's Central Command at the sprawling al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar. It serves as a crucial link to make sure the increasingly crowded Syrian airspace doesn't see any accidental collisions or attacks on each other.

Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis says: "U.S. military planners took precautions to minimize risk to Russian or Syrian personnel located at the airfield" targeted in Syria's Homs province. U.S. Central Command did not immediately respond to an Associated Press query on specifics of how the line was used.

About 60 U.S. Tomahawk missiles launched early Friday hit the Shayrat air base, southeast of the city of Homs, a small installation with two runways. The attack came in response for a chemical weapons attack Tuesday in Syria.

Turkey has welcomed the U.S. missile strike on Syria, saying it was an "important and meaningful" development but called for a continued tough stance against President Bashar Assad that would render him "no longer able to harm his people."

Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said in a live television interview Friday: "It is imperative that the Assad regime is fully punished by the international community."

"We see the (air strikes) as positive, but we believe that this should be completed," Kurtulmus said. "The Assad regime's barbarism must immediately be stopped."

Kurtulmus added that he hoped the U.S. action would help accelerate peace efforts in Syria.

Turkey is a strong opponent of Syrian President Bashar Assad and has backed the Syrian opposition fighting against him.

The Kremlin says President Vladimir Putin believes that the U.S. strike on a Syrian air base is an "aggression against a sovereign state in violation of international law."

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in Friday's statement carried by Russian news agencies that Putin believes that the U.S. has dealt the strikes under "far-fetched pretext."

Russia has argued that the death of civilians in the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun on Tuesday resulted from Syrian forces hitting a rebel chemical arsenal there.

Peskov said that the U.S. has ignored past incidents of the use of chemical weapons by Syrian rebels. He argued that the Syrian government has destroyed its chemical weapons stockpiles under international control.

A survivor of the chemical attack in a northern Syrian town says he hopes the U.S. missile attack could help put an end to Syrian government airstrikes, creating a safe area for civilians.

Alaa Alyousef, a 27-year old resident of Khan Sheikhoun, said Friday the U.S. missile attack "alleviates a small part of our sufferings," but he worries it will be like "anesthetics," to save face. AlYousef said the U.S. is capable of "paralyzing" Syrian warplanes .

"What good is a strike on Shayart air base alone while we have more than 15 other air bases," he said. Alyousef lost at least 25 relatives in this week's gruesome chemical attack in Khan Sheikhoun. The Syrian government denies it was behind the attack, believed to have deployed chemical weapons.

A Syrian official tells The Associated Press that the U.S. missile attack that hit military targets in central Syria has killed three soldiers and two civilians.

Talal Barazi, the governor of Homs province, said seven others were wounded in the early Friday attack. He had earlier said a fire raged in the air base in Homs for over an hour following the barrage of missiles.

A Syrian opposition monitor said the attack killed four soldiers, including a general.

The attack came in fiery retaliation for this week's gruesome chemical weapons attack against civilians.

Iran has condemned the U.S. missile strike on Syria, saying the "unilateral action is dangerous, destructive and violates the principles of international law."

That's according to Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi. He made the comments in a report carried Friday by the semi-official ISNA news agency.

Iran is one of the biggest supporters of embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad. Its hard-line paramilitary Revolutionary Guard is deeply involved in the war. America's Sunni Arab allies in the Gulf view Syria as a proxy conflict between it and Shiite power Iran.

Ghasemi described Iran as "the biggest victim of chemical weapons in recent history," referencing Iraqi use of the weapons during its 1980s war with the Islamic Republic. He said Iran condemned the missile launch "regardless of the perpetrators and the victims" of Tuesday's chemical weapons attack in Syria.

He also warned it would "strengthen terrorists" and further add to "the complexity of the situation in Syria and the region."

Saudi Arabia is praising the "courageous decision" by U.S. President Donald Trump to launch missile strikes on Syria over a deadly chemical weapons attack.

A statement carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency on Friday firmly blames the government of embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad for the chemical weapons attack.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry said the missile launch by Trump was the right response to "the crimes of this regime to its people in light of the failure of the international community to stop it."

Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia is a longtime opponent of Assad and has supported the rebels fighting against him. It also views the long-running war as a proxy conflict between it and its Middle East archrival, the Shiite power Iran.

A senior Russian lawmaker says that U.S. strike on Syria likely has put an end to hopes for Russia-U.S. co-operation in Syria.

Konstantin Kosachev, the head of the foreign affairs committee in the Kremlin-controlled upper house of parliament said on his Facebook that the prospective U.S.-Russian anti-terror coalition has been "put to rest without even being born."

Kosachev added that "it's a pity," suggesting that Trump had been pressured to act by the Pentagon.

He added that while "Russian cruise missiles strike the terrorists, U.S. missiles strike Syrian government forces who are spearheading the fight against the terrorists."

A Syrian opposition monitor says the U.S. missile attack on an air base in the country's centre has killed at least four Syrian soldiers, including a general, and caused extensive damage.

The head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the early Friday missile attack damaged over a dozen hangars, a fuel depot and an air defence base.

About 60 U.S. Tomahawk missiles hit the Shayrat air base, southeast of Homs, a small installation with two runways. A Syrian official the attack caused deaths and a fire, but didn't elaborate.

The U.S. attack came in fiery retaliation to Tuesday's deadly chemical attack that officials said used chlorine mixed with a nerve agent, possibly sarin. More than 80 were killed in that attack that drew wide international condemnation.

Israel's ambassador to the U.N. says the U.S. sent a "significant message" to the region and beyond with the attack on a Syrian air base.

Danny Danon told Channel 10 TV "it was a moral decision that delivered a triple message." He said it told the Syrians to stop using chemical weapons and sent a message to Iran and North Korea. He said it also told the international community that "if the U.N. is incapable of acting in these situations it will lead."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier "this message of resolve in the face of the Assad regime's horrific actions will resonate not only in Damascus, but in Tehran, Pyongyang and elsewhere."

Israel's military says it was notified ahead of the strike.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says the "Australian government strongly supports the swift and just response of the United States" in launching a rocket attack on a Syrian air base.

He tells reporters in Sydney on Friday: "This was a calibrated, proportionate and targeted response. It sends a strong message to the Assad regime, and ... has been struck at the very airfield from which the chemical attack was delivered."

"But we are not at war with the Assad regime and the United States have made it clear that they are not seeking to overthrow the Assad regime," he added. </s> ANKARA, July 12 (Reuters) - The top adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday had been “very constructive and friendly” and that Moscow would invest in the Iranian oil sector.

“Our leader (Khamenei) values improving ties with Russia as a strategic partner ... This path will continue ... Russia is prepared to invest in Iran’s oil sector,” the adviser, Ali Akbar Velayati, told Iranian state television from Moscow.

“Iran and Russia will continue to cooperate in Syria,” he added. The two countries support President Bashar al-Assad’s forces in the Syrian civil war. (Writing by Parisa Hafezi Editing by Gareth Jones) </s> ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey, Iran and Russia pledged on Wednesday to accelerate efforts to bring stability to Syria, underlining their joint commitment to the country a day after President Donald Trump raised the prospect of withdrawing U.S. troops.

A statement by the three countries after a summit meeting in the Turkish capital Ankara said they were determined to “speed up their efforts to ensure calm on the ground” in Syria.

While their decision to work together has done little to reduce violence in Syria, in part because of their own military interventions on opposing sides, it underlined their central role just as questions grow over Washington’s commitment.

A senior U.S. official said on Wednesday Trump wanted U.S. forces out of Syria relatively soon. “We’re not going to immediately withdraw but neither is the president willing to back a long-term commitment,” the official said.

Around 2,000 U.S. troops are deployed in northern Syria on a mission to battle the remnants of an Islamic State force that once controlled the area.

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said developments in Syria, where the Syrian army and its allies have driven back rebels in recent years, showed that the United States had “failed to topple the Syrian government” of President Bashar al-Assad.

“They wanted to fuel insecurity in order to maintain their own interests but they have gained no success,” he told a news conference after talks with Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. He added, however, that he believed U.S. forces would stay in Syria.

Iran and Russia have both strongly supported the Syrian president, while Turkey backed anti-Assad rebels. Those differences have continued on the ground despite their political cooperation aimed at winding down some of the violence.

Turkey has waged a military campaign to drive Kurdish YPG fighters from northwestern Syria’s Afrin district, while Russian air power and Iran-backed militias have supported Syrian army offensives in the Idlib and Ghouta regions.

Iran’s state television quoted Rouhani as telling Erdogan and Putin that Afrin should be handed over to Syria’s army.

“The developments in Afrin can only be useful if they do not violate Syria’s territorial integrity, and control of these areas should be handed over to the Syrian army,” Rouhani said.
U.S. President Donald Trump warns Russia and Iran for backing Bashar al-Assad and calls him "Animal Assad".