Assad told CBS Television on Monday that Washington should "expect everything" if US forces attack his country.

"You're going to pay the price if you're not wise. There are going to be repercussions," Assad said, adding, "It's an area where everything is on the brink of explosion. You have to expect everything."

"You should expect everything.... The government's not the only player in this region. You have different parties, different factions, different ideologies. You have everything in this decision now," Assad added.

The Syrian president also said any strike on Syria will provide direct support for al-Qaeda affiliated terrorist groups operating in the country.

Tensions rose high in the region after US said it was planning to attack Syria over conflicting reports of a chemical attack which they blamed it on the Syrian government based on anti-Syria militants’ claims.

Damascus has categorically denied using chemicals and has said it had evidence that showed the foreign-backed militants conducted the attack to open the way for their Western supporters to enter the war.

Washington, which has been supporting the anti-Syria militants both politically and militarily, had said before that using chemicals is its redline and it would only enter directly in the war if the Syrian army used chemical weapons.

Reports of the alleged attack emerged on August 21, after militants posted videos and photos of dead bodies, foamed in their mouths, and claimed the army conducted the attack on people in Ghouta, near capital.

Ghouta is a militant-held area and the army soldiers have been denied access to it for months.

MRKD/SHI