In an impassioned defence to the European Parliament, Macron said the allies had to act to defend global rules and accused Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad of being "at war with his people."

"Those that are shocked by images of women, of children who have been attacked by chlorine, we need to stand up to defend our rights. What are we going to say, our rights and principles just for us? No, that simply isn't acceptable," Macron said.

"Three countries have intervened, and let me be quite frank, quite honest -- this is for the honour of the international community," Macron said.

He added that the strikes were conducted "within a legitimate, multilateral framework, and in a very targeted way without any human victim, not a single human victim, to destroy three sites where chemical weapons were being produced or processed.

"These strikes don't necessarily resolve anything but I think they were important," he said.