Trump pressures for free passage through Suez Canal

(MENAFN) President Donald Trump has demanded that American commercial and military vessels be allowed to pass through the Panama and Suez Canals without charge, claiming that these vital waterways wouldn't exist without the United States' involvement. Trump's stance on this issue extends his earlier calls for reclaiming control over the Panama Canal, a move he has suggested could be enforced through economic or military means if needed.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump declared that "American ships, both military and commercial, should be allowed to travel, free of charge, through the Panama and Suez Canals!" He emphasized that the canals owe their existence to the U.S. and instructed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to address this situation immediately.

Although the Suez Canal was conceived and built in the mid-1800s by Britain and France, Egypt has received substantial foreign aid from the U.S. since 1946, making it one of the largest recipients in the Middle East after Israel. During the 1956 Suez Crisis, the U.S. played a pivotal role in ensuring Egypt regained control over the canal. Similarly, after Israel's occupation of the Sinai Peninsula in 1967, the U.S. mediated a peace agreement that restored Egyptian sovereignty over the canal by 1982.

While the U.S. constructed the Panama Canal in the early 20th century, full control was transferred to Panama in 1999 under the Torrijos-Carter Treaties. Despite this, Trump and other U.S. officials have expressed concerns about China's growing influence in the region, arguing that Chinese infrastructure projects and port operations could violate the 1977 Panama Canal Neutrality Treaty, which grants the U.S. the right to defend the canal.

Panamanian authorities have rejected Trump's claims, asserting full control over the canal, but after Rubio's intervention in February, Panama agreed not to renew its agreements with China under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative. Additionally, the U.S. has increased its military presence in Panama, deploying Navy vessels, Coast Guard assets, and aircraft to bolster defense ties between the two nations.

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