Top officials in the US and the United Kingdom are meeting Thursday to discuss their response to an alleged chemical attack in Syria, as US President Donald Trump doubled down on his threats of a missile strike as a means of sending a message to the countries he holds responsible: Syria and Russia.
British Prime Minister Theresa May has convened a Cabinet meeting for Thursday "to discuss the response to Syria," though it's unclear if she'll seek approval for a strike.
The White House National Security team will meet later that day, a source told CNN. It's not known if Trump will attend the meeting but he made his views clear in a Twitter tirade earlier Wednesday, warning Moscow to "get ready" for missiles launched at Syria.
"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 said. "You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!"
The US President added that the US relationship with Russia "is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War."
Trump's Twitter spray caught most of his aides off guard, as a decision had not yet been made how to respond to the chemical attack in Syria, people familiar with knowledge of the discussions said.
Calls for action against Bashar al-Assad's Syrian regime have been growing after an alleged chemical weapons attack last week on the rebel-held town of Douma.
The World Health Organization said more than 70 people taking shelter in basements reportedly died in the attack, with 43 of those deaths related to exposure to toxic chemicals.
In a statement Wednesday, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called on the Security Council to reach an agreement on the "continued use of chemical weapons" in Syria and cautioned that if it didn't, the situation could quickly spiral out of control.
"Let us not forget that, ultimately, our efforts must be about ending the terrible suffering of the Syrian people," he said.
Trump has discussed possible options on Syria with both French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Theresa May.
Macron has said that any French strikes against the Syrian regime would target chemical facilities, and a British government official told CNN Wednesday that preparations are being made for possible action, but cautioned a political decision has not yet been made.
It is unclear whether May would bring Syria action to a vote in Parliament. Gaining approval from MPs before launching any military strike is a convention, but May is not required to consult the Commons.
In 2013, then Prime Minister David Cameron lost a vote on military action against the Syrian regime by 13 votes, though British lawmakers approved bombing ISIS forces in Syria the following year.
On Wednesday, multiple UK lawmakers, including opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, urged May to recall Parliament -- which is currently recessed for Easter -- to hold a vote before taking any action.
Any potential strike against Syria could be carried out by extensive US and UK military assets already in the region, including two US Navy destroyers armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles. British media reported Wednesday that May has also ordered British submarines to move within missile range of Syria.
At least two airlines, Kuwait Airways and Middle East Airlines, have redirected flights and changed routes due to security concerns.
The World Health Organization estimated Wednesday about 500 people could have been affected by the chemical attack in Douma, citing reports from its health partners on the ground.
No investigation has yet been carried out of the alleged attack, nor have claims of activist and rebel groups which put out videos and photographs been independently confirmed.
Earlier this week, both the US and Russia blocked proposals at the UN Security Council for independent investigations.
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has said it will convene a meeting next week in The Hague, Netherlands, to discuss the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria. It is also set to carry out a fact-finding mission in Douma, though it has so far declined to provide a timetable.
Both Damascus and Moscow have vehemently denied involvement in the alleged chemical attack and accused rebel groups of fabricating the attack to hinder the army's advances and provoke international military intervention.
On Wednesday, Russian officials said the White Helmets -- a Syrian civil defense group -- had "staged chemical attacks for the cameras" and that Russian chemical weapons specialists and medical personnel had found no trace of chemical weapons in the affected area.
Eastern Ghouta, one of the last major rebel-held areas in Syria, was once home to around 400,000 people. But in the past four weeks alone more than 133,000 people have fled, with tens of thousands more trapped inside its largest town, Douma, UN refugee agency spokesman Andrej Mahecic said in a statement Tuesday.
