The United States is “locked and loaded” if Syria uses chemical weapons again, Donald Trump has threatened.

While Syria and Russia have insisted they had no hand in an alleged chemical attack in the Damascus suburb of Douma, the US, UK and France said they were convinced they had, something that led them to hit three Syrian targets overnight associated with the weapons’ production and storage.

The US defence secretary said the strikes, that involved the firing of 105 cruise missiles from planes and ships, were for the time being a “a one-time shot”.

Yet at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, hours after the hour-long strikes had concluded, the US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said Washington was ready to attack again if there was further use of chemical weapons.

Ms Haley said she had spoken earlier in the day with Mr Trump.

“We are confident that we have crippled Syria’s chemical weapons programme. We are prepared to sustain this pressure, if the Syrian regime is foolish enough to test our will,” she said.

“If the Syrian regime uses this poisonous gas again, the United States is locked and loaded.”

World reacts to Syria air strikes

Russia responded by demanding a UN resolution that would condemn “the aggression” against Syria by the United States and its allies. The short draft resolution called the action a violation of international law and the UN charter.

Russia’s UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the council the US and its allies struck without waiting for an investigation by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, calling the attack “hooliganism”.

“This was blatant disregard for international law,” he said.

The 105 missiles launched overnight in retaliation for a suspected poison gas attack in Syria targeted three chemical weapons facilities, including research and development buildings in Damascus’ Barzeh district and two facilities near Homs, Pentagon officials said.

Syria bombings: US, UK and French military air strikes wreckage Show all 13 1 /13 Syria bombings: US, UK and French military air strikes wreckage Syria bombings: US, UK and French military air strikes wreckage The wreckage of the Scientific Studies and Research Centre in the Barzeh district, north of Damascus, which was targeted by the US, UK and France air strikes. AFP/Getty Syria bombings: US, UK and French military air strikes wreckage A Syrian soldier films the damage of the Syrian Scientific Research Center surrounded by papers and rubble. AP Syria bombings: US, UK and French military air strikes wreckage Firefighrers extinguish smoke that rises from the damage. The Pentagon says none of the missiles filed by the U.S. and its allies was deflected by Syrian air defenses, rebutting claims by the Russian and Syrian governments. AP Syria bombings: US, UK and French military air strikes wreckage The wreckage of part of the Scientific Studies and Research Centre compound . AFP/Getty Syria bombings: US, UK and French military air strikes wreckage Part of a building collapsing, surrounded by the wreckage. AFP/Getty Syria bombings: US, UK and French military air strikes wreckage Further damaged to the Scientific Studies and Research Centre compound. AFP/Getty Syria bombings: US, UK and French military air strikes wreckage Lt. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, the director of the Joint Staff at the Pentagon, also says there also is no indication that Russian air defense systems were employed early Saturday in Syria. AP Syria bombings: US, UK and French military air strikes wreckage A Syrian soldier sprays water on the wreckage. AFP/Getty Syria bombings: US, UK and French military air strikes wreckage Syrian state news agency SANA reported several missiles hit a research centre in Barzeh, north of Damascus, "destroying a building that included scientific labs and a training centre". AFP/Getty Syria bombings: US, UK and French military air strikes wreckage A Syrian soldier films the damage. AP Syria bombings: US, UK and French military air strikes wreckage Damage to the Scientific Research Center building that was hit by the strikes. EPA Syria bombings: US, UK and French military air strikes wreckage The Scientific Studies and Research Centre was one of the targeted buildings by the US, UK and France. AFP/Getty Syria bombings: US, UK and French military air strikes wreckage Further damage to the centre. EPA

“We believe that by hitting Barzeh in particular we’ve attacked the heart of the Syrian chemicals weapon programme,” Lt Gen Kenneth McKenzie told reporters.

However, Mr McKenzie acknowledged elements of Syria’s chemical weapons programme remained in place and he could not guarantee that Syria would be unable to conduct a chemical attack in the future. Mr Trump called the operation a success in a morning Twitter post and proclaimed: “Mission accomplished”, a phrase that called to mind a claim made by George W Bush in the early stages of the US and UK invasion of Iraq that proved to be badly wrong.

On Saturday, Syria released a video of the wreckage of a bombed-out research lab, but also of Mr Assad arriving at work as usual, with the caption “Morning of resilience”.

Ten hours after the missiles hit, smoke was still rising from the remains of five destroyed buildings of the Syrian Scientific Research Centre in Barzeh, in which a Syrian employee said medical components were researched and developed, Reuters said.

There were no immediate reports of casualties. Damascus’s allies said the buildings hit had been evacuated in advance. Russia had promised to respond to any attack on its ally, and said on Saturday that Syrian air defences had intercepted 71 of the missiles fired.