Rex Tillerson, US secretary of state, said the Trump administration had begun efforts towards removing Syrian president Bashar al-Assad from power after the suspected gas attack in the war-torn country that killed more than 70 people earlier this week.

Mr Tillerson said there was “no doubt” that the Assad regime was responsible for the attack, which he described as a “serious matter” that required a “serious response”. The New York Times and Washington Post reported that the Pentagon was considering options for a possible military strike on Syria in response to the attack.

“With the acts that he [Mr Assad] has taken, it would seem that there would be no role for him to govern the Syrian people,” Mr Tillerson said. “The process by which Assad would leave is something that I think requires an international community effort.”