“The United States is in Syria to eliminate the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria,” press secretary Sean Spicer said in a statement. “If, however, Mr. Assad conducts another mass murder attack using chemical weapons, he and his military will pay a heavy price.”
President Trump authorized a military strike against Syria last April after the Syrian government apparently carried out a similar attack against their own people.
The administration's statement comes at a time of heightened tensions between the United States and Syria, which is allied with both Russia and Iran. U.S. forces last week shot down a Syrian warplane that had dropped bombs near American-supported fighters, leading Russia's defense ministry to threaten to target U.S. aircraft.
