Trump warns Russia to "get ready" for Syria strike

US President Donald Trump has warned Russia to "get ready" for a strike against Bashar al-Assad’s Syrian regime with "nice and new and smart" missiles.

Trump’s tweet, which described Assad as a "gas killing animal", follows an alleged chemical weapons attack this weekend, which has sparked the latest outburst in increasingly bitter relations between Russia and the West, with the US and its allies such as the UK and France having agreed to work together.

Yet Moscow has warned that any missiles launched that threaten its forces in that theatre will be shot down and their launch sites targeted in response.

Russia and Iran have both backed the Assad regime militarily and have also been identified as potentially culpable for the chemical attack in the rebel held Syrian city of Douma.

Tuesday night saw a heated showdown between Russia and the US at the UN Security Council, which failed to pass any measures in response to the attack after Moscow wielded its veto power.

Haley said: "Russia has trashed the credibility of the council. Whenever we propose anything meaningful on Syria, Russia vetoes it."

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has demanded unhindered access to the site to verify reports that 500 people suffered difficulty breathing, irritation of mucous membranes, and disruption to the central nervous system following the attack.

As an aside, heightened tensions in the region contributed to a spike in oil prices on Tuesday.

As of 1319 BST, front month Brent crude oil futures were rising by 0.99%, adding to a greater than 3% surge on Tuesday to hit their highest level since late 2014 at $71.74 per barrel, while similarly-dated US WTI crude futures were up by 0.99% to $66.16 a barrel.

Stephen Innes, head of trading for Asia Pacific at Singapore futures brokerage OANDA, said: "Oil prices are towering on the heightened tension in the Middle East."

Furthermore, there are concerns that prices could be further affected by renewed US sanctions on major oil producer Iran, after Reuters reported on Monday that Washington supported moves "by some" EU nations to toughen sanctions on Tehran.