World

How the US Syria strike was revealed

18:40 pm on 7 April 2017

The US has taken direct military action for the first time against the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria.

  • US President Donald Trump has confirmed he ordered a strike on a Syrian airfield.
  • More than 50 Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired from US Navy destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean, a Pentagon official said.
  • The action was in retaliation for chemical weapon deaths earlier this week in the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun.
  • The Syrian regime is widely thought to have been responsible for the attack, which killed at least 70 people - many of them children. It has denied responsibility.
  • Mr Trump said yesterday the use of chemical weapons crossed a lot of lines for him.
  • The president, who is in Florida, told media there was "no dispute" Syria used banned weapons. He said America "stands for justice".
  • Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says the US did not seek Moscow's approval for the strikes, but the Pentagon did notify Russian forces in advance.
  • New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully's office has confirmed New Zealand was notified a few hours in advance about the strike.

Look back at RNZ's live blog here: