Kremlin Slams U.S. 'Threats' against Assad

Russia on Tuesday denounced U.S. "threats" against the Syrian regime after the White House said leader Bashar al-Assad may be preparing another chemical attack and would face a "heavy price."

"We consider such threats against the Syrian leadership to be unacceptable," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.

Moscow, which backs Assad militarily, has consistently rejected accusations that Damascus was behind a deadly chemical weapons attack in Syria in April. 

Washington sparked Russian ire by launching a retaliatory cruise missile strike over the alleged attack, in the American's first direct military action against regime forces in Syria. 

White House spokesman Sean Spicer on Monday said in a statement that the U.S. "has identified potential preparations for another chemical weapons attack by the Assad regime that would likely result in the mass murder of civilians."

"If... Mr Assad conducts another mass murder attack using chemical weapons, he and his military will pay a heavy price," the statement said.

The two-paragraph communique did not offer any evidence justifying the sternly worded warning.