Huge task force of 12 warships sets sail for Syria in one of the biggest concentrations of US naval power since the 2003 Iraq invasion

The giant nuclear powered USS Harry S Truman, carrying 90 aircraft and escorted by its five-strong strike group of destroyers and cruisers, is powering towards Europe and the Middle East. A further four destroyers are believed to be in or near the Mediterranean already, including the Donald Cook, Porter, Carney and Laboon along with two nuclear-powered submarines, USS Georgia and USS John Warner. It comes amid heightened tensions as Donald Trump continues to consider launching airstrikes on Syria in retaliation for a chemical gas attack in a rebel-held town on Saturday. Russia has threatened to shoot down and US missiles aimed at Assad’s regime forces