United States President Donald Trump yesterday warned that “missiles will be coming” in response to an alleged chemical atrocity in Syria, as Russia scrambled to deflect blame from its ally Bashar al-Assad.

Trump’s warlike tweet apparently came in response to a warning from Russia’s ambassador to Lebanon, who took to a television network run by the armed group Hezbollah to warn that any US missiles would be shot down “as well as the sources they were fired from.”

With renewed US military action seemingly imminent and as Trump threatened that the US missiles would be “nice and new and ‘smart!’” both Washington and Moscow raised the rhetorical stakes.

If the US action follows the pattern of a previous punitive strike on Syria ordered by Trump last year it will begin with a salvo of cruise missiles fired from US warships in the Mediterranean.

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US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said the Pentagon is ready to provide options for a Syria strike in response to a suspected chemical attack, but noted the US and its allies are still gathering information.

Meanwhile, Moscow said the formerly rebel-held district of Eastern Ghouta, including Douma, the target of Saturday’s alleged chemical attack had been “totally stabilized” and would soon be patrolled by Russian military police.

But the Russian army continued to deny their side’s latest victory came after Assad launched a chemical attack on the last rebel-held pocket of the enclave, instead accusing the White Helmets civil defense organization of staging the massacre.

But, while his lieutenants continued to up the ante with threats and allegations, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin adopted a more statesmanlike tone, in remarks to new ambassadors presenting their credentials at the Kremlin.