British Prime Minister Theresa May joined the growing chorus of United States allies in demanding action against Bashar al-Assad and his Syrian regime over their repeated use of chemical weapons on civilians.
France's President, Emmanuel Macron, has already proclaimed that they have definitive proof that the recent chemical attack in Douma was perpetrated by the Assad regime.
Though he has not publicly provided that proof as of yet.
May has reportedly been in contact with U.S. President Donald Trump and is coordinating an international response. It is unclear if that means a military or economic one.
Trump's mixed signals
President Trump made headlines this week when he sent out a tweet telling Russia to "be ready for missiles in Syria, they're coming!" The boisterous claim had many certain that a military strike was imminent. The tweet made it sound like an escalated strike was coming this time around. However, Trump has backpedaled on those threats a bit as he insisted that there was no timetable for an attack on Syrian.
He cryptically said that an attack may not even end up taking place at all.
This has alarmed and confused allies as the general consensus is that they are waiting on the United States to take action and then follow their lead. The back and forth has both France and England wondering if military action may be a mistake, as it could potentially spiral out of control. That is something that U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis also worries about. He knows that if Russia were to come to Syria's aid, a full scale war could be very likely.
Drawing a red line
Russia has already declared that another attack on their ally Syria would not be tolerated. While the U.S. has been able to cooperate with Russia during the war against the Islamic State terrorists, the conclusion of that war means cooperation is no longer necessary.
As the war continues to wane, victors are consolidating their gains. The territories and boundaries have been radically redrawn and that too is playing a big part in this recent standoff.
Syria, once on the brink of collapse, has been propped back up by their allies, which include Iran and Hezbollah. Their decision to use chemical weapons once again shows how the regime feels about their own security. They have been vocal in the media as well in saying they do not fear a war with the United States.
Should the U.S. and their allies strike Syria again, they will need to do so with the understanding that a retaliatory strike seems imminent. Where things go from there is anyone's guess.