Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption How the Western attacks on Syria's suspected chemical weapons sites unfolded 
 
 French President Emmanuel Macron has said he convinced US President Donald Trump not to withdraw troops from Syria and instead commit "for the long term". 
 
 Earlier this month, Mr Trump declared that the US would "be coming out of Syria very soon". 
 
 On Saturday, joint US, UK and French strikes targeted Syrian government sites in response to an alleged chemical weapons attack. 
 
 Mr Macron said he also persuaded Mr Trump to keep the strikes limited. 
 
 The pair, who are reported to have a friendly relationship, spoke several times in the days before the military action was taken. 
 
 Inspectors from the independent Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) are in Syria to inspect the site of the alleged chemical attack, but British diplomats said Syria and Russia had not yet allowed the inspectors to visit the site. 
 
 After Mr Macron's comments, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said: "The US mission has not changed - the president has been clear that he wants US forces to come home as quickly as possible". 
 
 But she added that the US was "determined to completely crush" the Islamic State group and prevent its return. 
 
 Announcing the strikes in an address to the nation on Friday evening in Washington, Mr Trump insisted: "America does not seek an indefinite presence in Syria - under no circumstances." 
 
 The US has about 2,000 personnel on the ground in eastern Syria supporting an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias called the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). 
 
 Catch up on the strikes: 
 
 What did Mr Macron say? 
 
 Speaking in a live TV interview, during which he was grilled on several subjects, Mr Macron said: "Ten days ago, President Trump was saying 'the United States should withdraw from Syria'. We convinced him it was necessary to stay for the long term." 
 
 Image copyright AFP Image caption Emmanuel Macron defended the strikes in a lengthy TV interview 
 
 In telephone calls with Mr Trump, he also said he "persuaded him that we needed to limit the strikes to chemical weapons [sites], after things got a little carried away over tweets". 
 
 A tweet from Mr Trump last week about US missile strikes on Syria had read: "Get ready, Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart'. You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!" 
 
 The French president appears to have struck up a strong relationship with his US counterpart and this month will be afforded the first formal White House state visit of the Trump presidency. 
 
 Image copyright Reuters Image caption Emmanuel Macron has developed a strong relationship with Donald Trump 
 
 Mr Macron insisted the Western allies had "complete international legitimacy to act" in Syria. He said the allies had clear proof there had been a chemical attack in the town of Douma near Damascus on 7 April and that the Syrian government was responsible. Syria vehemently denies this. 
 
 Mr Macron said he told Russian President Vladimir Putin directly that Russia - which backs the Syrian government militarily - was complicit. 
 
 "They have not used chlorine themselves but they have methodically built the international community's inability to act through diplomatic channels to stop the use of chemical weapons," he said. 
 
 Macron thrives under tough questioning 
 
 By Hugh Schofield, Paris correspondent for BBC News 
 
 No-one in France can remember watching a presidential interview quite like this. Out went deference, journalistic fawning and the patsy questions. In came two attack hounds of the press, Jean-Jacques Bourdin and Edwy Plenel - both men bent, it seemed, on a proper slug-out with the head of state. 
 
 A sign of the style: not once did the journalists call Emmanuel Macron "Monsieur le President," which would be the norm on such occasions. Every time they wanted to address him, they said simply: "Emmanuel Macron." 
 
 The irony is that far from inconveniencing Mr Macron, this new aggression suits him down to the ground. In the heat of debate, he performs well. He knows his stuff. 
 
 And on Syria, he made the strongest case yet for his policy - much-criticised - of sticking close to Donald Trump. If it was indeed Emmanuel Macron who talked Trump into "re-engaging" with Syria after the suspected chemical attack, then that is an enormous success for France. 
 
 And the first dividend from a most unlikely presidential friendship. 
 
 The wave of strikes had represented the most significant attack against President Bashar al-Assad's government by Western powers in seven years of Syria's civil war. 
 
 Mr Macron said he still wanted dialogue with all parties, including Russia, to try to find a political solution and would go ahead with a planned trip to Moscow next month. 
 
 The French parliament will be holding an urgent debate on the country's military action at 17:00 local time (15:00 GMT). 
 
 MPs in the UK parliament are also due to question PM Theresa May on the air strikes. The opposition believes Mrs May should have consulted parliament before launching them. 
 
 What's happening on the ground in Syria? 
 
 Inspectors from the independent OPCW are now in the country. 
 
 But according to British diplomats at an urgent meeting in the OPCW headquarters in The Hague, the organisation's director says his experts are still waiting for Syria and Russia to grant them access to the alleged attack site in Douma. 
 
 At the meeting, UK ambassador to the Netherlands Peter Wilson accused Russia of trying to undermine all OPCW investigations into alleged chemical weapons use by Syrian government troops. 
 
 Russia in turn blamed other parties of trying to block their efforts to make a create a new way of investigating such chemical weapons claims. 
 
 Western allies believe the claimed attack killed dozens of people with the use of chlorine gas and possibly Sarin. 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Masa, survivor of suspected chemical attack: "Instead of breathing air, we breathed the smell of blood" 
 
 The Russians say there is no trace of any chemicals and questioned why the allies carried out strikes before the inspectors had reported. 
 
 Russia says the attack in Douma was staged, accusing the UK of orchestrating it. 
 
 The OPCW will not seek to establish, or publicly announce, who was responsible for the attack. 
 
 What are the latest diplomatic moves? 
 
 Speaking on TV, US envoy to the UN Nikki Haley said new sanctions would be announced on Monday against Russian companies with links to President Assad. 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Syria air strikes: Will they work? 
 
 This would be the second tranche of sanctions against Russian firms in a month, partly related to Russia's support for Syria. 
 
 Ms Haley also ruled out any direct talks with Mr Assad. 
 
 British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said no further strikes were planned, but that this would be reassessed if more chemical attacks took place. 
 
 President Putin spoke to Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani by phone on Sunday, telling him that any new Western strikes on Syria would spark "international chaos". 
 
 Syria is also high on the agenda of an EU foreign ministers' meeting taking place in Luxembourg. 
 
 The future of the Syrian war: 
 
 What was targeted by the US, UK and France? 
 
 Three sites. Firstly, the Barzeh complex, which the US says is a centre for development, production and testing of chemical and biological weapons, although Syria denies this. 
 
 The other two were suspected chemical weapons facilities at Him Shinshar near Homs. 
 
 Image copyright AFP Image caption The Barzeh complex appears completely destroyed 
 
 The US said 105 missiles were launched and it believed none were intercepted by Syrian defences. It said Syria's chemical weapons programme had been set back years. 
 
 The Russians said 71 missiles were shot down by Syrian systems. ||||| Macron: I never said US and France would stay in Syria for long term 
 
 Emmanuel Macron has clarified a suggestion that he was responsible for shifting the US position on Syria, after the White House rebutted an earlier comment by the French president that he had “convinced” Donald Trump to maintain a military presence there. 
 
 After Macron said in a live TV interview on Sunday night that he had changed Trump’s mind on rapidly withdrawing US troops, the White House issued a statement saying the US view had not changed and Trump still wanted US forces to leave “as quickly as possible” and “completely crush Isis”. 
 
 Macron said on Monday he had “never said” that either the US or France would stay engaged militarily over the long term. He said the French and US positions were in line but also had the same long-term target of building a stable and peaceful Syria. 
 
 “We have one military objective and only one: the war against Isis,” he told a press conference. “The White House is right to recall that the military engagement is against [Isis] and will finish the day that the war against [Isis] has been completed. I suggested no change last night.” 
 
 However, Macron said that by joining forces with France and the UK for Saturday’s strikes, the US “fully realised that our responsibility goes beyond the war against Isis and that there is also a humanitarian responsibility and a responsibility to build peace over the long term”. 
 
 Play Video 2:05 What you need to know about the Syria strikes – video report 
 
 France and other European nations had been alarmed by Trump’s comments about ending America’s presence in Syria, which contradicted messages from US military leaders. Despite a string of military victories that have driven the group back, Isis militants are still in control of pockets of land in Syria. 
 
 This weekend’s strikes on Syria – in which the US, France and Britain launched 105 missiles targeting three chemical weapons facilities in retaliation for a chemical weapons attack in Douma on 7 April – marked a new phase in Macron’s presidency. 
 
 It was the first time that France’s youngest modern president, who has been in power for a year, has used his constitutional role as commander-in-chief to order a military strike. 
 
 Syrian strikes boost French president’s action man image Read more 
 
 As Theresa May made a statement in the House of Commons about the strikes following criticism from opposition MPs that they were carried out without parliamentary approval, Macron also defended his decision to commit French forces to the attack. 
 
 Jean-Luc Melenchon of the hard-left La France Insoumise condemned the strikes, as did the centre-right Les Républicains, whose leader, Laurent Wauquiez, said he “did not believe in punitive strikes”. The leader of the far-right Front National, Marine Le Pen, said Macron had not published any evidence of the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime. 
 
 At his Monday press conference, Macron said France had acted with “international legitimacy”, adding that despite not being sanctioned by the UN the operation was legitimate because Syria should have destroyed its chemical weapons arsenal under a 2013 UN resolution. 
 
 Syrian strikes boost French president’s action man image Read more 
 
 In his Sunday night interview, Macron said his mandate to order a military strike “is given democratically to the president by the people in the presidential election”. 
 
 Macron reaffirmed that there was proof of chemical attacks, adding: “We had reached a point where these strikes were necessary to give back the [international] community some credibility.” 
 
 
 
 He said failing to enforce red lines had led Russian authorities to think “these people from the international community – they are nice, they are weak”. “He [Russian president Vladimir Putin] has understood it’s not the case any more.” ||||| White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, Friday, April 13, 2018. Sanders was asked about Syria, former FBI Director James Comey,... (Associated Press) 
 
 White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, Friday, April 13, 2018. Sanders was asked about Syria, former FBI Director James Comey, and other topics. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) (Associated Press) 
 
 WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on U.S.-led missile strikes on Syria (all times local): 
 
 9:40 p.m. 
 
 French President Emmanuel Macron says his nation, the United States and Britain have launched a military operation against the Syrian government's "clandestine chemical arsenal." 
 
 Macron says in a statement Saturday that France's "red line has been crossed" after a suspected chemical attack last week in the Syrian town of Douma. 
 
 He says there is "no doubt" that the Syrian government is responsible. President Bashar Assad's government denies responsibility. 
 
 Macron says the operation is limited to Syria's abilities to produce chemical weapons. He is not giving details about what equipment is involved in the operation or what sites it is targeting. 
 
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 9:25 p.m. 
 
 President Donald Trump is reiterating his call to have other nations take on more of the burden in Syria. 
 
 Trump says he has asked U.S. partners "to take greater responsibility for securing their home region, including contributing large amounts of money for the resources, equipment and all of the anti-ISIS effort." 
 
 He says increased engagement from countries including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Egypt can ensure that Iran does not profit from the defeat of the Islamic State group. 
 
 He adds that, "America does not seek an indefinite presence in Syria — under no circumstances" and says that, "As other nations step up our contributions, we look forward to the day when we can bring our warriors home." 
 
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 9:20 p.m. 
 
 Syria's capital has been rocked by loud explosions that lit up the sky with heavy smoke as U.S. President Donald Trump announced airstrikes in retaliation for the country's alleged use of chemical weapons. 
 
 Associated Press reporters in Damascus saw smoke rising from east Damascus early Saturday morning local time. Syrian state TV says the attack has begun on the capital, though it wasn't immediately clear what was targeted. 
 
 Trump announced Friday night that the U.S., France and Britain have launched military strikes in Syria to punish President Bashar Assad for his alleged use of chemical weapons against civilians and to deter him from doing it again. 
 
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 9:15 p.m. 
 
 President Donald Trump is warning Russia and Iran about their association with Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad's government, as he announces the launch of retaliatory strikes after an apparent chemical weapons attack last week. 
 
 Speaking from the White House, Trump says, "To Iran and to Russia, I ask: What kind of a nation wants to be associated with the mass murder of innocent men, women and children?" 
 
 Trump calls the two countries those "most responsible for supporting, equipping and financing the criminal Assad regime." 
 
 Trump says, "The nations of the world can be judged by the friends they keep." 
 
 He adds ominously, "Hopefully someday we'll get along with Russia, and maybe even Iran, but maybe not." 
 
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 9:10 p.m. 
 
 President Donald Trump is asking for a "prayer for our noble warriors" as he concludes his remarks announcing strikes on targets associated with the Syrian chemical weapons program. 
 
 Trump announced the strikes, in coordination with France and Britain, from the White House Friday night. He said the three nations have "marshaled their righteous power." 
 
 Trump is also offering prayers for the Middle East and for the United States. 
 
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 9:05 p.m. 
 
 President Donald Trump says he is "prepared to sustain" strikes against Syria until the use of chemical agents stops. 
 
 The United States, along with assurance from France and the United Kingdom, launched a response Friday against the regime of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad days after his government allegedly used chemical weapons on its citizens. 
 
 But Trump says America does not seek "an indefinite presence" in Syria and will look to pull out its troops once the Islamic State is totally defeated. 
 
 Trump has signaled in recent weeks that, despite advice from his national security team, he wanted to accelerate the timetable of the withdrawal of American forces. 
 
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 9 p.m. 
 
 President Donald Trump says the United States has "launched precision strikes" on targets associated with Syrian chemical weapons program. 
 
 Trump spoke from the White House Friday night. He says a "combined operation" with France and the United Kingdom is underway. 
 
 Trump says that last Saturday, Syrian President Bashar Assad deployed chemical weapons in what was a "significant escalation in a pattern of chemical weapons use by that very terrible regime." 
 
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 8:55 p.m. 
 
 President Donald Trump is set to address the nation Friday night amid anticipation of a retaliatory strike for an apparent Syrian chemical weapon attack last week. 
 
 That's according to a source familiar with the president's plans, who was not authorized to speak publicly. 
 
 Trump has said he will hold the Syrian government, as well as its Russian and Iranian allies, accountable for the suspected attack. 
 
 White House spokesman Raj Shah said Friday afternoon that Trump "is going to hold the Syrian government accountable. He's also going to hold the Russians and the Iranians who are propping up this regime responsible." 
 
 ___ 
 
 5 p.m. 
 
 The U.S. Navy was moving an additional Tomahawk missile-armed ship within striking range of Syria as President Donald Trump and his national security aides mulled the scope and timing of an expected military assault in retaliation for a suspected poison gas attack. 
 
 Trump's U.N. ambassador, Nikki Haley, said the president had not yet made a final decision, two days after he tweeted that Russia should "get ready" because a missile attack "will be coming" at Moscow's chief Middle East ally. 
 
 The presence of Russian troops and air defenses in Syria were among numerous complications weighing on Trump, who must also consider the dangers to roughly 2,000 American troops in the country if Russia were to retaliate for U.S. strikes.
– President Trump is taking guidance on Syria policy from the president of France, Emmanuel Macron claimed in an interview Sunday. The French leader said he persuaded Trump to limit airstrikes on Syria on Friday to chemical weapons facilities after "things got a little carried away over tweets," the Guardian reports. France and Britain also took part in the airstrikes. Macron also told an interviewer that over several phone calls in the days before the strikes, he talked Trump into keeping American troops in Syria just 10 days after the president said he wanted to bring them home. "We convinced him it was necessary to stay," said Macron. "We convinced him it was necessary to stay for the long term." Macron is believed to have a strong relationship with Trump and will be the guest of honor at the first formal White House state visit of Trump's presidency later this month, the BBC reports. But after his comments, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders denied that there had been a change in American policy. "The US mission has not changed—the president has been clear that he wants US forces to come home as quickly as possible," she said. US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said Sunday that American troops are in Syria to crush ISIS, make sure Iran doesn't take over, and to prevent chemical weapons from being used in a way that harms US interests, and they will stay until those missions are accomplished, the AP reports. (She also announced new sanctions on Russia.)