Syria chemical attack has changed view of Assad, Trump says

US President Donald Trump has described the chemical attack in Idlib province which killed more than 70 people as an “affront to humanity”, accused Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government of going "beyond a red line".

Trump, however, offered little clue to any new strategy to end the violence in Syria.

The US president said that Tuesday’s attack – whose victims included women, children and babies – had affected him profoundly and transformed his thinking about the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad.

“I will tell you that attack on children yesterday had a big impact on me – big impact,” Trump said in the White House Rose Garden. “My attitude toward Syria and Assad has changed very much … You’re now talking about a whole different level.”

But during a joint press conference with King Abdullah of Jordan on Wednesday, Trump also repeated his criticism of Barack Obama’s administration for drawing and then failing to enforce a “red line” over Assad’s use of chemical weapons.

“I think that set us back a long ways, not only in Syria but in many other parts of the world because it was a blank threat,” Trump said, acknowledging that he now carried responsibility for the crisis.

His accusations against Assad put him directly at odds with Moscow, the Syrian's president principal backer.

Trump's comments, which came just a few days after Washington said it was no longer focussed on making Assad leave power, suggested a clash between the Kremlin and Trump's White House.

Trump did not mention Russia in his comments on Wednesday but Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said it was time for Russia to think carefully about its support for Assad.

Earlier, Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, warned Russia it “cannot escape responsibility” for the attack. Addressing the security council, Haley said it was clear that Assad, Russia and Iran had “no interest in peace”.

Last week, Haley said removing Assad was no longer a US priority, in line with the White House emphasis on attacking Islamic State.