Mattis also had a more reassuring message for Moscow. “I want to emphasise that these strikes are directed at the Syrian regime … We have gone to great lengths to avoid civilian and foreign casualties.” In other words, Russian troops and assets on the ground were not a target. Plus the strikes were a “one-off”, he added. No more would follow…

Mattis’s military diplomacy does not mean the twin crises over Syria and Russia are over. Far from it. Trump got his military strike. But he once again failed to enunciate a broader strategy in Syria. His TV speech suggested he still believes the fight against Islamic State has been won (it has not), and that he still intends to withdraw the 2,000 US troops currently helping the Syrian Kurds.

In other words, Assad and his Russian and Iranian backers can expect to continue to have a free hand – as long as they do not use chemical weapons.