2017 Shayrat missile strike — United States missile strike in Syria on April 7, 2017
The first unilateral U.S. military strike against the Syrian government, launched in response to a chemical weapons attack.
Key Facts
- Missiles fired
- 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles
- Launch location
- Mediterranean Sea
- Target
- Shayrat Airbase, Syria
- Authorizing authority
- U.S. President Donald Trump
- Trigger event
- Khan Shaykhun chemical attack, 4 April 2017
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
On 4 April 2017, a chemical weapons attack struck Khan Shaykhun in Syria, killing dozens of civilians. The U.S. attributed responsibility to the Syrian government forces operating from Shayrat Airbase, prompting President Trump to authorize a military response to deter further use of chemical weapons.
On 7 April 2017, the United States fired 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles from warships in the Mediterranean Sea at Shayrat Airbase, a Syrian government-controlled facility. This constituted the first unilateral U.S. military action directly targeting Syrian government assets during the ongoing Syrian civil war. Advance warning was given to Russia before the strike.
Despite the strike, the Syrian Air Force resumed operations from Shayrat Airbase within hours, launching further airstrikes against rebel positions. The attack drew international attention to U.S. policy on chemical weapons use in Syria and strained relations with Russia, which condemned the action as aggression against a sovereign state.