Trump pressed Egypt's Sisi for Suez Canal waiver in early April: sources

US President Donald Trump’s controversial demand for free American passage through the Suez Canal was raised weeks ago in a private call with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, diplomatic sources have revealed on Sunday.

The disclosure has fuelled public outrage across Egypt, where politicians and commentators denounced Trump’s remarks as an attack on national sovereignty.

According to a senior Egyptian diplomat speaking to The New Arab's Arabic language edition, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, Trump proposed during a phone call on 1 April that US commercial and military ships be allowed to transit the Suez Canal without paying fees.

Trump framed the proposal as Egypt's "contribution" to US efforts to combat Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping, which have severely impacted Suez Canal revenues.

However, the source said Sisi did not engage with Trump's suggestion, instead stressing Egypt's commitment to restoring regional stability through a diplomatic resolution to Israel's devastating war on Gaza.

Another diplomatic source in Washington said that Egypt had made no promises regarding free passage, focusing instead on political efforts to ease tensions in the Red Sea.

Trump went public with his demand on Saturday in a post on his social media site, Truth Social.

"American ships, both military and commercial, must be allowed free passage through the Panama and Suez Canals. These two canals would not exist without the United States of America," the Republican president wrote. He added that he had tasked Secretary of State Marco Rubio to "take charge of this matter immediately".

The comments triggered swift backlash inside Egypt.

Egyptian MP Mostafa Bakry mocked Trump in a post on X, writing: "Trump says that without America, there would be no Suez Canal… Based on what, exactly? When Egyptians dug the Suez Canal between 1859 and 1869, America was still in its infancy."

He added: "It seems you need a proper reading of history, away from nonsense and nightmares. Egypt will not accept such cheap blackmail. There are international rules that must be respected, Egyptian sovereignty that cannot be violated, and Presidential Decree No. 30 of 1957, which governs transit fees, must be upheld."

Bakry, known for his close ties to security agencies, further said: "There is only one reason behind Trump's demand — American bullying and attempts to blackmail sovereign nations. It is open theft and imposition of tribute on an independent country. Mr Trump, we are not one of the banana republics, nor are we a new American state."

Diplomatic sources warned that Trump is unlikely to stop with Egypt, suggesting he will press Gulf and European states to make similar concessions.

Meanwhile, Cairo maintains open channels of communication with the Houthis and continues to advocate for diplomatic solutions rather than military escalation in the Red Sea.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi recently said Egypt’s losses due to regional instability amounted to around $7 billion last year, with Suez Canal revenues reportedly falling by over 60 percent.