US defence secretary Jim Mattis said the Trump administration had made no decision to strike Syria, as it weighs how to respond to an alleged chemical weapons attack that killed more than 40 people.
Appearing before the House armed services committee, Mr Mattis said the US was concerned that innocent people did not die in any attack. “On a strategic level it is how do we keep this from escalating out of control, if you get my drift on that.”
Donald Trump on Wednesday warned Russia, which intervened militarily in the Syrian conflict to back President Bashar al-Assad, to “get ready” for a missile attack, but on Thursday the president appeared to backtrack on the timing of any action.