Syria strikes - as it happened: Bashar al-Assad's chemical weapons capability 'set back for years' by bombing, Pentagon says

"We must not stay silent in the face of chemical weapons use in our own time," says Ms Haley recalls previous chemical use during war

"No country can be allowed to use chemical weapons with impunity," she adds - saying all of the UN agrees on that.

"It is Russia alone that used its veto six times to prevent the condemnation of use of chemical weapons in Syria," Ms Haley says.

She then says Russia used its Security Council veto 12 times, to protect the Assad regime.

As US Defense Secretary James Mattis has also repeatedly said - Russia has failed to guarantee the removal of chemical weapons in Syria, under a 2013 agreement and in fact "it did the opposite" Ms Haley says.

The US estimates that the Assad regime has used chemical weapons 50 times in Syria - with public estimates as high as 200, Ms Haley adds. 

Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the Security Council that the United States, France and Britain were only interested in ousting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government and containing Russia.

"We continue to observe dangerous military preparations for an illegal act of force against a sovereign state in what would constitute a breach of international law," he said. "We call on the leadership of these states to immediately reconsider."

"The sole thing they have an interest in is to oust the Syrian government and more broadly to contain the Russian Federation," he said

Nikki Haley did not take kindly to Mr Nebenzia's address, saying:

“I'm in awe that you can say what you say, Vassily, with a straight face. I really am.”

The Russian military has claimed an alleged chemical attack in Syria was staged and directed by Britain.

Volunteer first responders and activists said a chemical attack by the Syrian government killed more than 40 people in the town of Douma, which drew international outrage and prompted Washington and its allies to consider a military response.

Moscow warned against any strikes and threatened to retaliate.

Russian Defence Ministry spokesman, Major General Igor Konashenkov, released statements by medics from Douma's hospital who said a group of people toting video cameras entered the hospital, shouting that its patients had been struck with chemical weapons and causing panic.

The medics said none of the patients were hurt by chemicals.

Maj Gen Konashenkov said Britain was "directly involved in the provocation".

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres says a first team of international chemical weapons investigators have arrived in Syria, with a second team to arrive on Friday or Saturday

While US President Donald Trump himself remained silent on Syria on Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron - who has said France has proof that Assad's government used chemical weapons in the attack in Douma - spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Elysee palace said in a statement that Mr Macron had also expressed regret about Russia's use of its Security Council veto on the alleged chemical attack. Striking a conciliatory note, it said: "The President of the Republic called for dialogue with Russia to be maintained and stepped up to bring peace and stability back to Syria."

France's ambassador to the UN, Francois Delattre, was a little more forthright in telling the Security Council that the Syrian government's decision to use chemical weapons again meant they had "reached a point of no return".

The world must provide a "robust, united and steadfast response", he said.

Since 2015 France has carried out air strikes against jihadi group Isis in Syria as part of allied forces linked to the US-led coalition, conducting about five per cent of total coalition air missions.