Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is remaining defiant after Barack Obama decided to seek US congressional approval for a military strike.
In his first official remarks since the US president's unexpected announcement on Saturday, Assad said that Syria continues to "record victory after victory".
"Syria... is capable of facing up to any external aggression just as it faces up to internal aggression every day, in the form of terrorist groups and those that support them," he said in comments carried by state news agency SANA.
Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Muqdad earlier told reporters in Damascus that Obama "was clearly hesitant, disappointed and confused when he spoke yesterday."
Obama's decision effectively pushes back any military action aimed at punishing Assad's regime over an alleged deadly poison gas attack until at least September 9, when US politicians return from their summer recess.
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The US and other Western and Arab countries have blamed the Syrian government for the suspected August 21 attack, which Washington says killed more than 1400 people - accusations Damascus categorically denies.
