UK Threatens Damascus With Airstrikes if There's Proof of Chemical Weapons' Use

Despite being repeatedly accused of using chemical weapons, Damascus has strongly denied having them; it destroyed its arsenal several years ago, and their complete destruction was subsequently confirmed by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has stated that the UK might support airstrikes against the Syrian government if there's evidence of chemical weapons' use.

"If we know that it has happened, and we can demonstrate it, and if there is a proposal for action where the UK could be useful then I think we should seriously consider it," Johnson told BBC.

The statement comes a day after the infamous White Helmets NGO claimed that the Syrian government had deployed chlorine gas against the town of Al-Shifoniya in Eastern Ghouta, allegedly killing one child and causing "widespread suffocation" among the local civilians. While being praised by the Western governments, the White Helmets group, also known as the Syrian Civil Defense, has previously been accused of falsifying information about its work in Syria and staging "rescue" attempts in its propaganda videos.

When asked to comment on the allegations, the Pentagon, however, stated that the US currently sees no evidence of chemical weapons' use.

READ MORE: Same Old: Notorious White Helmets Report a Chemical Attack, Blame Damascus Again

Previously, the same threat was voiced by French President Emmanuel Macron, who stated earlier this month that France would launch strikes if the fact that the Syrian government had used weapons of mass destruction (WMD) against its civilians was proven.

Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry warned that militant groups in Eastern Ghouta were preparing a false flag attack in an attempt to blame Damascus for using chemical weapons against civilians.

Syria has repeatedly denied allegations of chemical weapons use, underscoring that it had no weapons of mass destruction, which was confirmed by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

READ MORE: UN Can't Verify Claims of Chemical Attacks in Syria 'Independently' — De Mistura

However, on April 4, 2017, the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, supported by the United States, accused Damascus of the Khan Sheikhoun incident in Idlib province, that  left 80 people dead and injured 200 more. Western governments blamed Bashar al-Assad for being responsible for the use of sarin gas. Reacting to the incident, the United States, having no proof of the use of chemical weapons by Damascus, launched 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at the Syrian government airfield in Ash Sha’irat on April 7.