France warns of ‘disastrous consequences’ if Syrian regime launches offensive on rebel stronghold

France is warning of “disastrous consequences” if Syrian forces and their allies launch an assault on the Syrian province of Idlib, the last major area held by rebels.

“Such an offensive would have disastrous consequences,” the French foreign ministry said in a statement, according to Turkish news outlet Anadolu Agency.

“It would engender a new major humanitarian and migratory catastrophe since it could directly threaten the 3 million civilians counted by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the region.”

{mosads}The French foreign ministry also referenced French President Emmanuel Macron’s comments late last month that the country would be ready to take action if Syria uses chemical weapons.

The foreign ministry’s statement follows a Bloomberg report late last month that President Trump’s national security adviser John Bolton has warned his Russian counterpart that the U.S. is prepared to attack if Syria uses chemical weapons. 

CNN reported late last week that the U.S. has come up with an initial list of Syrian chemical weapons facilities that could be attacked by airstrikes if Syria launched a new chemical weapon attack.