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Donald Trump today went on the warpath over Moscow’s threat to down US missiles in the clash over Syria — tweeting: “Get ready Russia ... they will be coming, nice and new and ‘smart!’”

The extraordinary message, issued in the early hours in America, appeared to pave the way for imminent air strikes against Bashar Assad’s regime in response to the suspected chemical attack on rebel-held Douma.

The president lashed out after Russia’s ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Zasypkin, escalated tensions with a threat to target planes and ships which fire at Assad’s secret chemical weapons stockpile.

“If there is a strike by the Americans then ... the missiles will be downed and even the sources from which the missiles were fired,” Mr Zasypkin told Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV.

Mr Trump tweeted: “Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and ‘smart!’

“You shouldn’t be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!” Mr Trump’s tweet caught the UK Government, and mostly likely Washington and Paris, by surprise. It came as the US, Britain and France are understood to be seeking to carefully gather further evidence of whether the Assad regime was behind Saturday’s attack on the rebel-held town of Douma, in Eastern Ghouta near Damascus.

In a further astonishing tweet 40 minutes later, Mr Trump added: “Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?”

Rescuers in Douma say at least 70 people died, and today the World Health Organisation condemned the attack, saying some 500 patients went to health facilities with “signs and symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals”.

Peter Salama, WHO deputy director-general for emergency response. said: “WHO demands immediate unhindered access to the area to provide care to those affected, to assess the health impacts, and to deliver a comprehensive public health response.”

The Syrian regime has been found previously to have repeatedly used chemical weapons.

The war of words between Mr Trump and Mr Zasypkin, sparked growing concerns that the Syrian civil war could spiral into a broader conflict.

General Sir Richard Barrons, who led UK Joint Forces Command from 2013 to 2016, warned: “I hope the ambassador has chosen his words very carefully.

“What he is actually saying is if the US and allies decide to strike against Syrian chemical weapons and delivery aircraft, not only are they going to try to shoot down the missiles, which they are capable of doing but won’t be with total success, but by saying ‘launch platforms’, he’s saying they are going to try and sink ships, sink submarines and shoot aircraft out of the sky — that’s war.”

The Kremlin declined to comment on Mr Zasypkin’s remarks, but spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “We would like to hope that all sides will avoid any steps that, a) are not provoked by anything and, b) could significantly destabilise an already fragile situation in the region.”

Andrei Krasov, a senior Russian MP, warned his country would treat a US air strike “not just as an act of aggression but a war crime of the Western coalition.” As tensions intensfied:

Airspace chiefs warned planes to be careful when flying close to Syria. In a notice on Eurocontrol’s website, the European Aviation Safety Agency said: “Due to the possible launch of air strikes into Syria with air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles within the next 72 hours ... consideration needs to be taken.”

Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom is understood to be ready to support military action against Assad’s regime without a parliamentary vote.

A number of Tory MPs voiced concerns over armed action.

Syrian military chiefs were reported to be moving planes to an airbase with Russian forces in an attempt to protect them from air strikes.

Aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman and its strike group were due to leave Norfolk, Virginia, today, and head to Europe on a scheduled deployment.

A meeting of Britain’s National Security Council was delayed.

Tory MP John Baron told BBC radio: “We’ve been here before and many of us believe we need to approach this in a cautious manner because of the risk of escalation. If there is going to be significant military intervention then I think Parliament has every right to ask questions, particularly given our poor track record on previous interventions across the region.”

Commons Leader Ms Leadsom is among a number of senior Tory MPs who believe a parliamentary vote is not needed for limited strikes in response to Assad’s use of chemical weapons.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s comments so far, though, have made clear that he is highly unlikely to back military action, so if there is a Commons vote British forces could be deployed on bombing raids without cross-party parliamentary backing.