Donald Trump’s decision to blitz a Syrian air base with cruise missiles was only to punish Bashar al-Assad for using chemical weapons and does not herald a major military escalation against the Syrian dictator, senior Republicans have said.

The Republican’s senate leader said the barrage of 59 missiles “was related to the use of chemical weapons only," while the US secretary of state said America’s military plans in Syria were unchanged.

As the blasted hangars and bunkers at Shayrat air base in Homs on Friday night began to cool, analysts said the missile strikes could have little immediate military impact on fighting in the six-year-long Syrian civil war.