Pentagon asked for military options to access Panama Canal

WASHINGTON: The US military must work to provide options to ensure the United States has full access to the Panama Canal, two US officials told Reuters on Friday.

President Donald Trump has said repeatedly he wants to “take back” the Panama Canal, which is located at the narrowest part of the isthmus between North and South America and is considered one of the world’s most strategically important waterways, but he has not offered specifics about how he would do so, or if military action might be required.

One US official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said a document, described as an interim national security guidance by the new administration, called on the military to look at military options to safeguard access to the Panama Canal.

A second official said the US military had a wide array of potential options to safeguard access, including ensuring a close partnership with Panama’s military. The Pentagon last published a National Defence Strategy in 2022, a document which lays out the priorities for the military. An interim document sets out broad policy guidance, much like Trump’s executive orders and public remarks have done, ahead of a more considered policy document like a formal NDS.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The interim document was first reported by CNN. NBC News earlier on Thursday reported that the White House had ordered the Pentagon to create options for the Panama Canal.