WASHINGTON, April 13 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said he has ordered precise strikes in cooperation with Britain and France against Syrian military facilities.
In a televised speech, Trump said he ordered the U.S. armed forces to launch attacks against targets related to Syria's chemical weapons capabilities.
He added that a combined operation with Britain and France was under way.
"The purpose of our actions tonight is to establish a strong deterrent against the production, spread and use of chemical weapons," he noted. "Establishing this deterrent is a vital national security interest of the United States."
Trump also criticized Russia and Iran for supporting the Syrian government as well as their failure to stop the alleged April 7 chemical attack against the rebel-held Douma district near Damascus.
"Hopefully someday we will get along with Russia, and maybe even Iran, but maybe not," he said. "The United States has a lot to offer."
Trump's speech came all of a sudden, as White House correspondents said they were asked not to share that information until the president went live "in order to ensure the safety of our troops."
In response, Syrian state TV reported that the Syrian military was confronting the West's air strikes with anti-aircraft weapons.
Trump ordered an air strike against Syria last year to punish the government's another alleged use of chemical weapons against the civilians, in a move that he said has destroyed 20 percent of the Syrian air forces.
Activists and rebels in Syria claimed that the Syrian forces used chlorine gas in the April 7 attack against Douma. The Syrian government has denied the allegations and called the reports fake news the West uses to justify its attacks on the country.