Trump hits the links AGAIN as war looms: President enjoys his 16th golf course visit since inauguration - despite Iran and Russia threatening to retaliate over his airstrikes on Syria

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President Donald Trump went golfing on Sunday despite the looming threat of war following his decision to launch airstrikes in Syria.

The 45th president was spotted at the Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach, Florida, for the second day in a row after the US launched cruise missiles at a Syrian air base on Thursday night during the Chinese President's visit to Mar-a-Lago.

Trump retaliated against Syrian president Bashar Assad, who he said was responsible for unleashing a chemical weapons attack on his own people.

But the military action enraged Syrian allies, and Russian and Iranian forces said Trump had crossed a 'red line' with his surprise missile bombardment on Assad’s forces.

'From now on we will respond with force to any breach of red lines and America knows our ability to respond well,' the military chiefs said in a joint statement with Hezbollah.

The Russian Embassy in London also suggested there could be ‘real war’ if Moscow is presented with an ultimatum over Syria.

President Donald Trump visited one of his own golf courses for the 16th time in his brief presidency. Pictured, on Trump at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday

Trump (pictured Sunday leaving Mar-a-Lago) is far outpacing his predecessor, who he repeatedly criticized for hitting the links

Trump played golf for the second day in a row on Sunday while tensions rose on the world stage as Russian and Iranian forces vowed to retaliate should the US cross additional 'red lines'

In 2013, Trump urged Obama not to attack Syria, before criticizing him for playing golf

But Trump appeared unfazed as he hit the links for the second day in a row on Sunday. It marked his 16th visit to one of his own golf courses since he became president. 

While Trump repeatedly attacked Obama's golf trips and vacations for at least five years, the Donald is far outpacing his predecessor, who waited until April 26, 2009 for his first game. 

During the campaign, Trump said that as president, he would probably never see his own golf courses again because he'd be too busy working.

He said: 'You know what - and I love golf - but if I were in the White House, I don't think I'd ever see Turnberry [in Scotland] again. I don't think I'd ever see Doral again -- I own Doral, in Miami. I don't think I'd ever see many of the places that I have.

'I don't ever think that I'd see anything. I just wanna stay in the White House and work my ass off, make great deals, right? Who's gonna leave? I mean, who's gonna leave?' 

Trump has now spent his 10th consecutive weekend traveling to one of his properties in the 11 weeks he's been president.

On the campaign trail, Trump (pictured Saturday) said he would probably never see any of his own properties as president because he'd be holed up in the White House 'working my a** off'

Trump repeatedly attacked Obama's golf trips and vacations in tweets that called his work ethic into question

While Trump enjoyed some recreational down time, tensions were ratcheting up on the world stage.

Following the airstrikes on Thursday evening, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said  Russia was either 'complicit' in the Sarin attack that killed more than 80 people or 'simply incompetent' in getting Syria to fall in line.

Tillerson cited a 2013 UN security council resolution calling the Syrian government to surrender chemical weapons under the supervision of the Russian government.  

And Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev didn't mince his words when he declared US-Russian relations were 'completely ruined' on Friday. He also said the US was 'on the verge of a military clash with Russia'.

Countries around the world weighed in, upping the ante between the US and Russia. 

The fallout comes after President Trump ordered airstrikes (pictured) on a Syrian airbase in the first direct attack by the US against Assad

In an ominous threat raising the prospect of war, Russia and Iran said the US President had crossed a ‘red line’ with his bombardment on the forces of Assad (shown)

On Sunday, a joint command center of Russia, Iran and the Islamist militant group Hezbollah warned America that they would not allow further attacks on the Syrian regime.

They said: ‘What America waged in an aggression on Syria is a crossing of red lines. From now on we will respond with force to any aggressor or any breach of red lines from whoever it is and America knows our ability to respond well.’

The phrasing appeared to be a mocking reference to Barack Obama’s warning in 2012 that Assad should not cross a 'red line' by using chemical weapons.

The Russian Embassy in London also responded with anger to claims the G7 could agree to slap Putin (shown) with the threat of sanctions

In a further sign of increasing tensions, the Russian Embassy in London responded with anger to claims the G7 – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and America – could agree to slap Putin with the threat of sanctions unless he pulls his troops out of Syria and ends his support for Assad.

In a series of provocative tweets on its official account, the embassy suggested that if Russia were given an ultimatum, the outcome would be either, ‘war of clowns, war of muses, a conventional war or a mix of the above’.

It added: ‘If G7 ultimatum to Russia brings us to real war, what is your trust in @realDonaldTrump as a wartime leader & @BorisJohnson as his lieutenant?’ Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, last night said the US had made a ‘strategic mistake’ by attacking Syria.

He made clear he was not intimidated by claims the airstrike was a warning that America was willing to target other countries. Tehran has been a key backer of Assad in Syria’s six-year civil war.

Khamenei said: ‘The Islamic Republic of Iran will not leave the field in the face of threats. Former American officials created Daesh [Islamic State] and the current leaders are reinforcing it.’ 

White House national security adviser HR McMaster said Syria’s ‘sponsors’, Russia and Iran, were enabling Assad’s ‘campaign of mass murder against his own civilians’. 

Obama waited until April 26, 2009 for his first game. He went on to play a total of 333 rounds over the course of his two terms in office

Obama opted not to strike Assad's regime in Syria back in 2013 when hundreds of Syrians suffocated in rebel-held suburbs after ground-to-ground missiles were loaded with Sarin and fired on civilian areas while residents slept. 

The former president warned Assad at the time not to cross his 'red line' and provoke a US military strike. He went to Congress for authorization to carry out punitive strikes against the Syrian government, but lacked the necessary support in the legislature.

The Obama administration did eventually launch airstrikes in Syria the following year when the US started its military fight against ISIS in both Syria and Iraq.

Trump is due to return to Washington DC on Sunday, after sending a letter to Congress defending the airstrike in Syria. 

He wrote: 'I acted in the vital national security and foreign policy interests of the United States, pursuant to my constitutional authority to conduct foreign relations and as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive.' 

Trump penned a letter to tell Congress why he bombed Syria without their permission