US Sanctions 271 Syrians in Connection with Chemical Attack

On Monday, the US Treasury Department sanctioned 271 individuals in Syria related to the production of chemical weapons. According to Reuters, employees of the 'Scientific Research and Studies Center' in Syria were sanctioned for collaborating with Bashar al-Assad's government in the production of chemical weapons. The US government claims that Bashar al-Assad's regime was responsible for the chemical attack on Khan Shaykhun in Idlib province on April 5, which killed at least 80 people, including women and children. Steven Mnuchin, the US Treasury Secretary, stated at the White House regarding the sanctions: 'The United States sends a serious message with this action, which is that we will not tolerate the use of chemical weapons by anyone.' Mnuchin emphasized that Monday's sanctions against Syria are among the largest sanctions Washington has ever imposed on a country. Previously, US President Donald Trump referred to Bashar al-Assad as 'the devil' in response to the use of chemical weapons in Syria, stating that the Syrian government had crossed a 'red line' with this action. Trump also ordered a missile strike on a Syrian airbase in response to the chemical attack on Khan Shaykhun, which was hit by 59 missiles. Meanwhile, Bashar al-Assad denied any involvement in the chemical attack on Khan Shaykhun, claiming the attack was 'fabricated.' According to Reuters, all assets of the individuals sanctioned on Monday will be blocked in the US, and any cooperation by American citizens with them is prohibited. On the same day, Trump criticized the UN Security Council for its inaction regarding the chemical attack in Syria. The Security Council had put a resolution regarding the chemical attack on Khan Shaykhun to a vote, but Russia vetoed the resolution. Meanwhile, the British government supported the US sanctions against 271 individuals in Syria on Monday. According to Reuters, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson stated that London supports efforts to hold accountable and prosecute those involved in the chemical attack in Syria. The UK also emphasized the necessity of resolving the civil war in Syria through political means. A British delegation at the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons previously stated that the Secretary-General of the organization indicated in a meeting that recent tests show that sarin gas or a similar toxic substance was used in the Khan Shaykhun attack. The Syrian civil war has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and millions of displaced people.