Russia's envoy to the UN is speaking to the United Nations Security Council. Vassily Nebenzia attacked the allied air strikes as "aggression" against Syria which "makes [a] catastrophic humanitarian situation worse".

Image source, Getty Images

President Trump has all but admitted that the broader Syrian war is not a US interest, writes PJ Crowley, a former US assistant secretary of state.

Read PJ Crowley's analysis in full here.

The Prime Minister's Office has published an account of the UK government's legal position on the air strikes in Syria.

It says that they met three tests for military action to be permitted as a humanitarian intervention under international law:

• there is convincing evidence of distress that requires immediate and urgent relief
• there is no alternative to force to save lives
• the force is necessary and proportionate to the aim of relieving humanitarian suffering

The publication falls short of meeting the demand by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to publish the attorney general's full legal advice, however.

Read the legal position here.

The crews involved in Saturday morning's strikes were well prepared, writes Jonathan Beale from Cyprus.

Jonathan Beale
BBC defence correspondent

Image source, MOD

The RAF crews involved in the overnight strikes on a Syrian chemical weapons target were well-prepared for this operation.

For the past three years, they've regularly been carrying out bombing missions against the group known as Islamic State in both Iraq and Syria. For that they've been able to fly directly over targets in uncontested airspace dropping Paveway bombs or firing their smaller Brimstone missiles.

But this time there were greater risks. Unlike IS, both the Syrian regime and its ally Russia have sophisticated air defences. If the RAF Tornados flew directly over their target there was the added danger they'd become a target, too.

That's why they used their Stormshadow cruise missiles.

Read Jonathan's full blog here.

Amateur video has captured missiles striking a military research facility in the Barzah district of Damascus.

Syrian State TV later broadcast footage which it said showed the damage.

The facility was reportedly hit by 76 missiles, 57 of them Tomahawks. The target was "destroyed".

The White House has published its report on the information gathered that it says points to chemical weapons use in Syria.

The US assessment states:

• A significant body of information points to the regime using chlorine in its bombardment of Douma, while some additional information points to the regime also using the nerve agent sarin
• Videos and images show the remnants of at least two chlorine barrel bombs from the attacks with features consistent with chlorine barrel bombs from past attacks
• Eyewitnesses corroborate that barrel bombs were dropped from helicopters, a tactic used to target civilians indiscriminately throughout the war
• These barrel bombs were likely used in the chemical attack

• The Syrian regime’s chemical weapons attacks on Douma were part of an effort to recapture the city in order to eliminate the final opposition pocket in Eastern Ghouta capable of threatening the capital
• Our information is consistent and corroborated by multiple sources

Read the full US assessment report here, external.

Russia has asked the UN Security Council to condemn the "aggression" against Syria from joint military strikes, according to a draft resolution seen by AFP news agency.

Russia circulated the measure ahead of a Security Council meeting to discuss the military operation by the US, France and the UK in response to the alleged chemical weapons attack in Douma, near the capital, Damascus.

The Pentagon says it believes the strikes will inhibit Syria's ability to use chemical weapons.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is speaking at a briefing in Moscow.

He has questioned France's assertion that it has proof for the use of chemical weapons by Syria.

He doubted French access to information relating to the suspected chemical attack and in particular the testing of suspected weapons.

"They [France] said the facts were incontrovertible [for the chemical attack in Douma], but said they could not share them with us," Mr Lavrov said.

He added that if a chemical stock were proven, "Russia would be the first to want to stop such an attack".

"This happened a day before inspectors were due to arrive [in Douma] to investigate," he said, referring to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OCPW), adding that the investigators had expressed a "willingness" to carry out the tests.

Earlier today, France shared a declassified intelligence report, external, which was translated in English, on how it arrived at its conclusion that the suspected chemical attack took place. The report contains images that some may find distressing.

Turkey has responded again, with its President Recip Tayyip Erdogan welcoming the strikes against Syria's Bashar al-Assad.

At a meeting in Istanbul, he called the strikes "appropriate", and criticised the Syrian President's regime.

He said: "The regime has seen that its mounting attacks in recent days against dissidents ... will not be left unanswered."

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

The Syrian government has sharply criticised Qatar, which hosts US military facilities, for its support for the air strikes.

"The Syrian Arab Republic expresses its disgust at the disgraceful position of the rulers of the Sheikhdom of Qatar by supporting the imperialist Western tripartite aggression on Syria and allowing the launch of the lava of the malicious aggression from the Al Udaid US airbase in Qatar," the foreign ministry said.

Image source, Getty Images

An update on what we know so far

• Washington says 105 weapons were launched against three targets in Syria - a research facility in Damascus and storage facilities near Homs
• The missile strikes were carried out from "air and naval platforms" by the US, UK and France and "successfully hit every target"
• The "precise, overwhelming and effective" action was in retaliation for a suspected chemical weapons attack last Saturday

• President Trump says the allies "marshalled their righteous power against barbarism and brutality" by conducting "perfectly executed" strikes
• Russia says missiles were also aimed at other targets but many were intercepted by air defences
• The Pentagon contradicts this, saying "no Syrian weapon had any effect" on the operation
• Vladimir Putin says the air strikes are an "act of aggression", calling for an urgent UN meeting
• Syrian state media calls the strikes "a flagrant violation of international law"
• PM May said the air strikes were "both right and legal" and there had been "no alternative"
• Mrs May also linked the suspected chemical weapons attack in Douma to the nerve agent attack on a Russian ex-spy and his daughter in the UK, saying they showed a "pattern of disregard for chemical weapons norms"

Full story here: Trump hails 'perfect' mission

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy says military action carried out on specific sites in Syria was "justified", and that the suspected deadly chemical attack on the town of Douma last week was "a crime against humanity".

"What has occurred in Syria in recent days goes far beyond the constant violation of cease fires," Mr Rajoy said, adding: "The response to these atrocities is legitimate and proportionate."

Read more: Were the Syria air strikes legal?

The Pentagon said that the actions carried out by the US military, France and the UK were successful and effective because the strikes on targeted facilities will would set back the Assad regime's chemical weapons programme by years.

Also speaking at the press briefing, Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said dealing with the issue of Syria's suspected chemical attack "demanded an immediate response".

She said the military operation against the Syrian regime was not aimed at "seeking conflict in Syria".

"But we cannot allow such grievous violations of international law," Ms White told reporters.

The Assad government's chemical weapons programme has been badly hit, she said. "We are confident we have significantly degraded his ability to use chemical weapons again."

Gen McKenzie said the "proportional, precision and co-ordinated strikes" were directed against three facilities.

"We selected these targets carefully to avoid civilian casualties... and they were successfully hit," he said.

The US is not aware of any civilian casualties "as of now".

He added that "no Syrian weapon had any effect" on the military operation.

The Pentagon's General Kenneth McKenzie says all military objectives were accomplished - it was "precise, overwhelming and effective".

He is not aware of any civilian casualties.

76 missiles hit the target near Damascus - "it is not effective anymore".

The storage facility west of Homs - Gen McKenzie says it was hit by 22 weapons.

More to come...

The Pentagon is due to hold a briefing shortly on the situation in Syria, following the US-led air strikes.

A reminder, more than 100 missiles were fired in the US-led operation. The Pentagon said the following targets were hit.

• A scientific research facility in Damascus, allegedly connected to the production of chemical and biological weapons
• A chemical weapons storage facility west of Homs
• A chemical weapons equipment storage site and an important command post, also near Homs

Reports suggest other possible targets.

This map shows the position of targets declared by the US and Russian militaries which were hit in Damascus.