The American military strike on the Shayrat military airfield in Homs, which belongs to al-Assad’s forces, caused the destruction of several aircraft that were stationed in the airfield as well as the death of some civilians. The strike was a political earthquake whose tremors and repercussions are expected to be felt throughout the Syrian political and regional scene, and even on the international scene in the short term.
On Wednesday afternoon, April 5, US President Donald Trump issued an order to the Ministry of Defense to direct 59 Tomahawk missiles from two American missile destroyers, which were ready in the eastern Mediterranean, towards the Shayrat military airfield in the countryside of Homs. Missiles started falling on the airfield, which is considered one of the largest and most important airfields used by al-Assad’s forces. It is also believed to be the airfield from which the raids that targeted the city of Khan Shaykhun with poison gas started on Wednesday and Thursday after midnight.
In a speech, the American president commented on his troops’ strike against an airfield controlled by al-Assad’s forces, saying, "On Tuesday, the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad launched a horrific chemical attack on innocent civilians". He added, "Tonight, I issued an order to launch a targeted military strike in Syria on the airfield from which the chemical attack was launched. Preventing and deterring the proliferation and use of deadly chemical weapons is part of the vital interests of the United States’ national security".
In his statements, Trump expressed his recent position towards al-Assad, saying, "Years of previous attempts to change al-Assad's behavior have failed miserably. As a result, the refugee crisis is still getting worse and the stability of the region is still shaking and still threatening the United States and its allies". The American president called on all civilized countries to join the United States to try to put an end to the massacre and killings in Syria and to eliminate all types and forms of terrorism.

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