After Panama, it’s now Suez. Donald Trump, who frequently demands what he considers « owed » to the United States, the world’s leading power, is targeting the canals that handle 5% and 10% of global maritime trade, respectively. He insists that passage through these canals should be free for all American ships.
On Saturday, he instructed his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, to immediately address this issue. « American ships, both military and commercial, should be allowed to pass through the Panama and Suez canals free of charge. These canals would not exist without the United States of America, » the U.S. president asserted on his Truth Social platform.
Threat to « Take Back » the Panama Canal
Before taking office in January, Donald Trump had already pressured Panama, threatening to « take back » the canal built by the United States, which was inaugurated in 1914 and remained under U.S. sovereignty until 1999. A significant portion of ships traveling to or from the United States pass through the canal.
However, his attack on Suez is a new development. The United States has never been involved in the construction or management of this canal, which has been controlled by Egypt since 1956. But for the past year and a half, Houthi rebels from Yemen, in « solidarity » with Palestinians in Gaza, have been launching attacks against ships using the canal. In response, and like other nations, Washington has become more actively involved in efforts to secure this maritime route in recent weeks.
Source: lefigaro
