×
GreekEnglish

×
  • Politics
  • Diaspora
  • World
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Cooking
Saturday
06
Dec 2025
weather symbol
Athens 15°C
  • Home
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • World
  • Diaspora
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Mediterranean Cooking
  • Weather
Contact follow Protothema:
Powered by Cloudevo
> World

Trump launches attack on Syria with 59 tomahawk missiles

The Pentagon called the strike a "proportional response to Assad's heinous act."

Newsroom April 7 08:50

The U.S. military attacked a Syria-government airfield with 59 tomahawk missiles on Thursday evening.

The missiles targeted the Shayrat Airfield near Homs, and were in response to a Tuesday chemical weapons attack. Officially announcing the strike, President Donald Trump said that the targeted airfield had launched the chemical attack on a rebel-held area, and he called on other nations to oppose Syria’s embattled leader.

sy3

“On Tuesday, Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad launched a horrible chemical weapons attack on innocent civilians. Using a deadly nerve agent, Assad choked out the lives of helpless men, women and children. It was a slow and brutal death for so many. Even beautiful babies were cruelly murdered in this very barbaric attack,” Trump said during a Thursday address.

A U.S. defense official called the U.S. strike a “one-off,” Reuters reported.

On Thursday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that Russia had failed to carry out a 2013 agreement to secure Syrian chemical weapons, adding that Moscow was either complicit or incompetent in its ability to uphold that deal.

Tillerson said that the U.S. had a high degree of confidence that sarin nerve gas had been used in Tuesday’s chemical attack in northern Syria.

This image released by the US Department of Defense, shows the Shayrat airfield in Syria on October 7, 2016. US President Donald Trump ordered a massive military strike on a Syrian air base on Thursday in retaliation for a "barbaric" chemical attack he blamed on President Bashar al-Assad. The US military fired dozens of cruise missiles at the Shayrat Airfield at 8:45 pm Eastern Time (0000 GMT), officials said.  / AFP PHOTO / US Department of Defense / HO / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / US Department of Defense" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

The Pentagon released details on the strike, saying it was conducted using tomahawk missiles launched from the destroyers USS Porter and USS Ross in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.

“A total of 59 [Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles] targeted aircraft, hardened aircraft shelters, petroleum and logistical storage, ammunition supply bunkers, air defense systems, and radars,” the Pentagon said in a statement. “As always, the U.S. took extraordinary measures to avoid civilian casualties and to comply with the Law of Armed Conflict.”

The Pentagon called the strike a “proportional response to Assad’s heinous act.”

There was no immediate word on casualties, but no people were targeted, an official told NBC.

One U.S. official told NBC that the Russians were warned ahead of the strike. Additionally, no Russian assets were targeted, according to the report.

Still, Tillerson said the U.S. “sought no approval from Moscow” on the strikes.

In this image released by the US Navy, the USS Ross fires a tomahawk land attack missile April 7, 2017, at a Syrian air force airfield . US President Donald Trump ordered a massive military strike on a Syrian air base on Thursday in retaliation for a "barbaric" chemical attack he blamed on President Bashar al-Assad. / AFP PHOTO / US NAVY / Robert S. PRICE / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / US NAVY / Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Robert S. Price" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

Syrian armed rebels welcomed the strike. Ahrar Al Sham, an opposition group backed by Gulf states responded: “The armed opposition welcomes any U.S. intervention through surgical strikes that would deter the Assad regime capabilities to kill civilians and shorten the suffering of our people.”

Syrian state TV, meanwhile, said, “American aggression targets Syrian military targets with a number of missiles.”

Earlier Thursday, Reuters reported that a British diplomat had said the United Nations Security Council would not vote on Thursday on a draft resolution to condemn Tuesday’s gas attack, but will continue negotiations.

Russia’s deputy U.N. envoy, Vladimir Safronkov, warned that day of “negative consequences” if the U.S. carried out military strikes on Syria over the attack.

“We have to think about negative consequences, negative consequences, and all the responsibility if military action occurred will be on shoulders of those who initiated such doubtful and tragic enterprise,” Safronkov told reporters when asked about possible U.S. strikes, adding that such consequences could be seen in Iraq and Libya.

In this image released by the US Navy, the USS Ross fires a tomahawk land attack missile April 7, 2017, at a Syrian air force airfield . US President Donald Trump ordered a massive military strike on a Syrian air base on Thursday in retaliation for a "barbaric" chemical attack he blamed on President Bashar al-Assad. / AFP PHOTO / US NAVY / Robert S. PRICE / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / US NAVY / Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Robert S. Price" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio appeared to be tweeting about an American offensive action in Syria, posting at 8:44 p.m. ET, “‘Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished’ Proverbs 11:21 # SyriaChemicalAttack”

ru

The United States, Britain and France proposed a draft U.N. resolution on Tuesday to condemn the attack and press Syria to cooperate with international investigators. Russia said the text was unacceptable and proposed a rival draft.

>Related articles

Papastavrou: The ministerial meeting of the Greece, Cyprus, Israel and the USA group in Washington in April

From MAGA to Make Europe Great Again, with support for patriotic parties and a “stop” on mass immigration – How to stop the onslaught of China

Axios: Trump will announce by Christmas the new governance structure for Gaza

In February, Syrian ally Russia, backed by China, cast its seventh veto to protect Assad’s government from council action, blocking a bid by Western powers to impose sanctions over accusations of chemical weapons attacks. China has vetoed six resolutions on Syria.

A Security Council resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the United States, Britain, France, Russia or China to pass.

Source

Ask me anything

Explore related questions

#Marco Rubio#missile attack#President Donald Trump#syria#Tomahawk#usa
> More World

Follow en.protothema.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news

See all the latest News from Greece and the World, the moment they happen, at en.protothema.gr

> Latest Stories

Video: Farmer tearfully says goodbye to his 450 sheep — all of his local breed

December 6, 2025

Taylor Swift: The date of her wedding to Travis Kelce has been revealedThe couple may marry in Rhode Island

December 6, 2025

Tragedy for the 33-year-old climatologist who died on an Austrian mountain after her partner left to get help

December 6, 2025

Tragedy in Zakynthos: 18-month-old child killed after attack by family’s pit bull

December 6, 2025

The secret lives of Putin’s hidden children: Growing up in wealth and isolation

December 6, 2025

Mitsotakis from Markopoulo: The government is open to dialogue with farmers — they should come with representation and clear demands

December 6, 2025

Analysis by The New York Times: Trump turns his back on Europe, treats it as an enemy, and downgrades it to a hub of decline

December 6, 2025

The murders that changed the map of the Greek Mafia: The bloody path that started from the chief godfather Stefanakos and reached up to Zambounis who was gassed with 97 bullets

December 6, 2025
All News

> Economy

Greece on the European economic map: signals of reward, early debt repayment and Pierrakakis’ nomination for the Eurogroup

International interest in Greek banks, with significant developments in funding and debt reduction, while Pierrakakis' candidacy highlights the country's stability

December 6, 2025

The Greeks take center stage again in 2025 – Targeted acquisitions and “smart” vessel sales

December 5, 2025

Christmas Bonus 2025: What applies to private sector employees

December 5, 2025

Netflix buys Warner Bros. for $82.7 billion: How the mega deal closed

December 5, 2025

Positive signs on the Athens Stock Exchange, heading for its fourth consecutive weekly rise

December 5, 2025
Homepage
PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION POLICY COOKIES POLICY TERM OF USE
Powered by Cloudevo
Copyright © 2025 Πρώτο Θέμα