- The UK says the world must "take action" against Syria following a suspected chemical weapons attack.
- The British government believes it is "highly likely" the Assad regime was behind the attack that left 75 people dead.
- Prime Minister Theresa May says the UK will work with the US and France to coordinate a response.
Theresa May's government has called on the world to "take action" against the Assad regime in Syria over a chemical weapons attack — clearing the path for the UK to join the US and its allies in military action.
May's Cabinet agreed it was "highly likely" that the Assad regime in Syria was behind the attack which has left 75 people dead.
"Following a discussion in which every member present made a contribution, Cabinet agreed it was vital that the use of chemical weapons did not go unchallenged," a spokesperson said.
"Cabinet agreed on the need to take action to alleviate humanitarian distress and to deter the further use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime. Cabinet agreed the Prime Minister should continue to work with allies in the United States and France to coordinate an international response."
May's Cabinet met for over two hours in Downing Street before coming to a final agreement. A Downing Street source told BI that the Cabinet were "unanimous" in the need for action with the foreign secretary Boris Johnson making a passionate case for an intervention.
The agreement means Britain could take part in strikes against Syria within days, potentially without a vote in Parliament.
Downing Street's statement came as President Trump rowed back from his earlier suggestions that America would launch an imminent attack on Syria, tweeting that any strikes "could be very soon or not so soon at all!".
He later told reporters that a decision would be made "fairly soon," adding that "we're looking very seriously and very closely at that whole situation and we'll see what happens folks".
The US defence secretary, James Mattis also indicated that the US is still considering its options, telling the House armed services committee that the administration' main concern about a military response was to prevent the Syria conflict "escalating out of control".
UK opposition to Syria attack
Any military action by May would be highly divisive in both the UK parliament and among the UK public.
One opinion poll released on Monday found that just one in five members of the public supported an attack.
The YouGov poll found that 22% of Brits support military action in Syria, while 43% oppose it.
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Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also today all but ruled out backing UK military action against Syria, saying that "more bombing, more killing, more war will not save life" in Syria.
Corbyn warned that any attack could trigger a wider conflict with Russia.
"The dangers of bombing now, which could escalate the conflict beyond belief … Just imagine the scenario if an American missile shoots down a Russian plane or vice versa. Where do we go from there?”
He added that he was "not in favour of increasing military action in Syria; what I’m in favour of is a political process to bring about peace."
Here's the full statement from the Cabinet meeting:
This afternoon Cabinet met and received an update on the attack against innocent civilians in Douma, Syria, on Saturday.
The Prime Minister said it was a shocking and barbaric act which killed up to 75 people, including children, in the most appalling and inhumane way.
Cabinet agreed that the Assad regime has a track record of the use of chemical weapons and it is highly likely that the regime is responsible for Saturday's attack.
The Prime Minister said it was a further example of the erosion of international law in relation to the use of chemical weapons, which was deeply concerning to us all.
Following a discussion in which every member present made a contribution, Cabinet agreed it was vital that the use of chemical weapons did not go unchallenged.
Cabinet agreed on the need to take action to alleviate humanitarian distress and to deter the further use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime.
Cabinet agreed the Prime Minister should continue to work with allies in the United States and France to coordinate an international response.