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A post by U.S. President Donald Trump demanding free passage for American ships through the Suez Canal has drawn sharp criticism in Egypt, where the canal is viewed as a vital symbol of national pride.
Trump claimed in the same post that without U.S. involvement, neither the Panama Canal nor the Suez Canal would exist. He said he had instructed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to “address it immediately.”
U.S. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz echoed Trump’s message, sharing the post and writing that the U.S. shouldn’t be paying passage fees for a canal it helps protect.
Cairo has issued no official response but Egyptian sources cited by the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat said, “Sometimes, silence is a response in itself.” The sources said the remarks were viewed as rhetoric rather than a formal demand.
“Egypt doesn’t engage in pointless social media debates,” they added. “If the issue is raised officially, the Egyptian government will respond through diplomatic channels. The canal is an international waterway governed by the Convention of Constantinople — no country is entitled to use it for free.”
The comments sparked outrage on Arabic social media, particularly in Egypt, where users emphasized the U.S. has no role — direct or indirect — in the canal’s construction, which they insisted was dug by “Egyptian hands.”
Egyptian MP Mostafa Bakry accused Trump of blackmail, writing on X (formerly Twitter) that the canal is “purely Egyptian, not American property,” and that more than 120,000 Egyptians died during its construction.
Bakry said Trump’s remarks were retaliation for Egypt’s rejection of his plan to relocate Palestinians from Gaza, calling it an attempt to “uproot and erase the Palestinian issue.” He added: “Mr. Trump, we’re not a banana republic or the next American state.
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“I warned days ago that what’s happening in the Red Sea and Yemen is not about the Houthis or helping Yemen’s legitimate government—it’s about militarizing and controlling the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Trump has now confirmed that.”
Another MP, Mahmoud Badr, wrote that Egypt has never allowed foreign forces to protect it. “Only our army and the blood of our children defend this country,” he wrote. “We rejected both American and Russian military bases. The Suez Canal was built with Egyptian blood, inaugurated by Egyptians and protected by the Egyptian army.”
Egyptian broadcaster Ahmed Moussa called Trump’s statements “extremely dangerous,” adding that “the U.S. played no role whatsoever in the canal’s construction or operation over the past 160 years.” He wrote that the canal “is a red line for every Egyptian” and that tolls are determined by both Egyptian and international regulations. Still, he stressed that U.S.-Egypt ties are strategic and “no American president can afford to jeopardize them.”
Media figure Lamis Elhadidy reminded Trump that the canal opened in 1869, just after the U.S. Civil War. In another post, she predicted Trump might walk back his remarks.
A vital revenue source under pressure
The Suez Canal is one of Egypt’s most critical sources of income. Since late November 2023, many shipping companies have rerouted away from the Red Sea due to Houthi attacks on commercial vessels — attacks they claim are in solidarity with Gaza.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty recently said the canal has lost about 65% of its revenue, costing more than $8 billion. President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said in March that Egypt is losing $800 million per month in canal revenues due to the regional instability. Toll fees are based on a vessel’s type, weight and cargo status.
The anger online took a sarcastic turn as well. One viral image showed Trump holding a shovel while wearing a headscarf in U.S. flag colors, captioned: “A rare photo of Trump’s grandfather helping dig the Suez Canal.”
According to Qatar’s Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, a senior Egyptian diplomatic source said Trump first raised the idea of free U.S. passage during an April 1 phone call with el-Sisi. Trump reportedly framed the request as a “contribution” Egypt could make toward the U.S. campaign against the Houthis in Yemen.
Another source said el-Sisi focused the call on ending the war in Gaza — Cairo’s top priority — and gave no indication he supported Trump’s demand. “Trump won’t stop with Egypt. He’ll seek to charge Gulf and European states for the Red Sea passage of their commercial ships,” The source added.