President Donald Trump has said U.S. ships, both military and commercial, should be allowed to travel through the Panama Canal and Suez Canal free of charge.

Many Egyptians have responded negatively to a demand by US President Donald Trump that American ships should sail the Suez Canal free of charge. Mr Trump's comments on Saturday are the latest in a series of proposals for the Middle East that have raised concerns over his policy towards the region.

"I've asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio to immediately take care of, and memorialize, this situation!" the president wrote.