Editors

USA TODAY

The U.S. launched cruise missiles against Syria Friday, a day after President Trump said a chemical weapons attack that killed 86, “crossed many, many” lines.

Here’s what we know so far:

Why did the U.S. attack?

Back in 2013, President Obama set a "red line" against the use of chemical weapons by Syrian President Bashar Assad. The regime proceeded to use the weapons to kill 1,400 civilians, but Obama did not attack — a move Trump and other Republicans widely criticized as making America look weak.

In the wake of that episode, Assad agreed to turn over his stockpile of chemical weapons. This week's chemical attack clearly violated that pledge. Trump called the attack — which killed at least 86 people, 27 of them children — "a disgrace to humanity" and "truly one of the egregious crimes."

"The strike was intended to deter the regime from using chemical weapons again," Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement.

What Trump says:

"It is in the vital national security interest of the United states to prevent and deter the use of deadly chemical weapons," Trump said from his Mar-a-Lago retreat after the strikes were carried out. "Assad choked out the lives of helpless men, women and children. It was a slow and brutal death for so many. Even beautiful babies were cruelly murdered at this very barbaric attack. No child of God should ever suffer such horror."

How did the U.S. attack?

The cruise missiles were fired from a U.S. Navy vessel in the Mediterranean Sea. The missiles hit multiple targets, including the airfield which serves as the base for the warplanes suspected of carrying out the chemical attack.

The plan for the attack followed one devised in 2013 after Obama set his "red line," a senior defense official told USA TODAY.

Did the strikes cause any casualties?

Homs governor Talal Barazi told The Associated Press that the airstrikes caused deaths and injuries, but didn't specify how many. "I believe — God willing — that the human casualties are not big, but there is material damage," Barazi told Reuters. "We hope there are not many victims and martyrs."

Has the U.S. struck Syria before?

The U.S. has been bombing Islamic State targets in Syria since 2014, but this was the first strike against the Syrian regime. This also marked the first conventional assault on another country ordered by Trump.

Why did the U.S. attack from ships?

Tomahawk missiles can travel 1,500 miles to strike their target. So, the U.S. Navy was able to launch the attack from the Mediterranean Sea, avoiding the need to get permission from any host country to launch the strikes.

What are the risks of attacking the regime?

One potential concern is the safety of U.S. special operations troops in eastern Syria who are advising local ground forces in their fight against the Islamic State. One official told USA TODAY there are fears Assad could counter by targeting the U.S. troops.

One reason the U.S. chose limited strikes against Assad, is that a more sustained campaign would risk the total collapse of the regime. That risks a power vacuum that could allow ISIS or other extremists to seize power.

How did Russia and Iran respond?

One concern was how Russia and Iran would react since both countries have boots on the ground in Syria supporting the regime. Iranian militias support Assad and Russia's intervention turned the tide of the six-year-old civil war in Assad's favor.

Though the U.S. military notified Russia of the strike before it was launched, the Kremlin regarded the U.S. military action as an "aggression against sovereign state in violation of international law," The Associated Press reported early Friday. Iran similarly condemned the airstrikes against Syria, saying they were "dangerous" and "destructive," according to The Associated Press, citing Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi.

More on Syria:

U.S. launches cruise missile strike on Syria after chemical weapons attack

Syria's civil war: A look at how we got to this point

President Trump finds his line-in-the-sand moment