Hosting three-way talks with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem (pictured above, left), and Iranian counterpart Mohammed Dschawad Sarif (pictured above, right) in Moscow on Friday, Russian Foreign Minsiter Sergey Lavrov denounced last week's US attack on Syria and warned that any further such action would entail "grave consequences not only for regional but global security."
Read: US skips out on Afghanistan conference in Moscow
Lavrov also told al-Moualem that Russia and the US have a shared understanding that such strikes would not be repeated.
The Interfax news agency reported that the Russian diplomat revealed this had been "concluded" during Wednesday's visit of US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to Moscow.
US 'did not rule out any future action'
In Washington, however, the US State Department said Tillerson did not eliminate the possibility of the US maybe undertaking future strikes.
"The secretary explained there were no subsequent targets after the missile strike, but he did not rule out any future action," State Department acting spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement.
"He stressed that Russia is in a position to use its influence over the Assad regime to ensure it is never again necessary for the US to act," Toner said.
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US missile attack on Syrian airbase
59 Tomahawk Missiles
In April, US forces attacked a Syrian air base with cruise missiles in retaliation for a deadly chemical weapons attack on Syrian civilians. The US attack killed several Syrian soldiers and almost completely destroyed the base.
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US missile attack on Syrian airbase
Syrian air base
The air base Al-Shairat looked like this before 59 Tomahawk rockets were fired at the site. US President Donald Trump said this was the base from which the poison gas attack was flown out of on Tuesday. The strike aimed to destroy airplanes as well as prevent take-offs and landings.
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US missile attack on Syrian airbase
Attack from the Mediterranean
The cruise missiles were launched from the USS Porter and USS Ross warships stationed in the Mediterranean Sea. It was the first time US forces had directly attacked government forces in the six-year civil war. Previous attacks in Syria targeted the so-called "Islamic State."
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US missile attack on Syrian airbase
Turning point for Trump
For Trump, the use of chemical weapons was a turning point in his attitude towards the Syrian conflict. After an even bigger chemical attack in August 2013, which killed several hundred people, he warned then-President Barack Obama against retaliating against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
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US missile attack on Syrian airbase
Threats in the UN Security Council
"When the United Nations consistently fails in its duty to act collectively, there are times in the life of states that we are compelled to take our own action," US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said on Wednesday, as she held up photographs of lifeless victims, including children.
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US missile attack on Syrian airbase
Targeted attack or accident?
On Tuesday morning a residential district in Chan Sheikhun in Idlib province was bombed and poison gas was released. At least 70 people died in the attack, but responsibility is still unclear.
US blames Assad regime
The US launched Tomahawk missiles at Syria's Shayrat air base near Homs last Friday, in response toa chemical attack in the northwestern Idlibprovince.
Washington has blamed Assad's government for the deadly attack which killed more than 80 people. Damascus, however, has staunchly denied the accusation.
The Syria crisis is also set to be the focus of further talks planned for Saturday between Lavrov and Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani.
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Who's fighting in the Syria conflict?
Armed factions in Syria
Syria has been engulfed in a devastating civil war since 2011 after Syrian President Bashar Assad lost control over large parts of the country to multiple revolutionary groups. The conflict has since drawn in foreign powers and brought misery and death to many civilians.
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Who's fighting in the Syria conflict?
The dictator
Syria's army, officially known as the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), is loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and is fighting to restore the president's rule over the entire country. The SAA has been fighting alongside a number of pro-Assad militias such as the National Defense Force and has cooperated with military advisors from Russia and Iran, which back Assad.
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Who's fighting in the Syria conflict?
The northern watchman
Turkey, which is also part of the US-led coalition against IS, has actively supported rebels opposed to Assad. It has a tense relationship with its American allies over US cooperation with Kurdish fighters, who Ankara says are linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighting in Turkey. The Turkish military has intervened alongside rebels in northern Aleppo, Afrin and Idlib province.
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Who's fighting in the Syria conflict?
The eastern guardian
The Kremlin has proven to be a powerful friend to Assad. Russian air power and ground troops officially joined the fight in September 2015 after years of supplying the Syrian army. Moscow has come under fire from the international community for the high number of civilian casualties during its airstrikes. However, Russia's intervention turned the tide in war in favor of Assad.
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Who's fighting in the Syria conflict?
The western allies
A US-led coalition of more than 50 countries, including Germany, began targeting IS and other terrorist targets with airstrikes in late 2014. The anti-IS coalition has dealt major setbacks for the militant group. The US has more than a thousand special forces in the country backing the Syrian Democratic Forces.
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Who's fighting in the Syria conflict?
The rebels
The Free Syrian Army grew out of protests against the Assad regime that eventually turned violent. Along with other non-jihadist rebel groups, it seeks the ouster of President Assad and democratic elections. After suffering a number of defeats, many of its members defected to hardline militant groups. It garnered some support from the US and Turkey, but its strength has been greatly diminished.
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Who's fighting in the Syria conflict?
The resistance
Fighting between Syrian Kurds and Islamists has become its own conflict. The US-led coalition against the "Islamic State" has backed the Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias. The Kurdish YPG militia is the main component of the SDF. The Kurds have had a tacit understanding with Assad.
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Who's fighting in the Syria conflict?
The new jihadists
"Islamic State" (IS) took advantage of regional chaos to capture vast swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria in 2014. Seeking to establish its own "caliphate," IS has become infamous for its fundamentalist brand of Islam and its mass atrocities. IS is facing defeat in both countries after the US and Russia led separate military campaigns against the militant group.
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Who's fighting in the Syria conflict?
The old jihadists
IS is not the only terrorist group that has ravaged Syria. A number of jihadist militant groups are fighting in the conflict, warring against various rebel factions and the Assad regime. One of the main jihadist factions is Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, which controls most of Idlib province and has ties with al-Qaeda.
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Who's fighting in the Syria conflict?
The Persian shadow
Iran had supported Syrian President Bashar Assad before the conflict emerged in 2011. Eager to maintain its influence in the Middle East, Tehran has provided Damascus with strategic assistance, military training and ground troops. The Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah also supports the Assad regime, fighting alongside Iranian forces and paramilitary groups in the country.
Author: Elizabeth Schumacher, Alexander Pearson
