Panama's government declared on Thursday that it would remain "firm" in defending its sovereignty and the Panama Canal, following reports that US President Donald Trump is exploring options to "reclaim" the vital waterway.

NBC News, citing two anonymous US officials, reported that the White House had directed the military to "develop options for increasing the American troop presence in Panama," ranging from enhanced US-Panama security cooperation to the potential for an actual seizure.

The White House and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment on the report, which stated that a seizure was considered a "less likely" option.

"With respect to these statements, I have nothing more to say than that Panama remains firm in defending its territory, its canal, and its sovereignty," Panamanian Foreign Minister Javier Martinez-Acha told reporters.

"Let it be clear, the canal belongs to the Panamanians and will remain so," he added.

The NBC News report surprised many in Panama, as there have been no US troops stationed in the country for over 25 years. The last US soldier left on December 31, 1999, when the United States, which constructed the Panama Canal, handed control of the vital shipping route back to Panama.

Tensions between the US and Panama have resurfaced with President Trump’s repeated threats to "take back" the canal, including by force if necessary.

In response, Panama has made several concessions to Trump, such as pressuring a Hong Kong company operating ports on the canal to withdraw. The company, which Trump had used as an example of China's influence over the waterway, eventually sold its operations to a US investment firm.

Earlier this month, Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino strongly refuted claims by Trump that the United States was in the process of reclaiming the Panama Canal. In a statement on March 5, posted on social media platform X, Mulino accused Trump of spreading falsehoods and undermining Panama's national dignity.

"Once again, President Trump is lying. The Panama Canal is not in the process of recovery," Mulino wrote. He added, "I reject, on behalf of Panama and all Panamanians, this new affront to the truth and to our dignity as a nation."

The controversy stems from Trump's recent speech to Congress, where he asserted that his administration had begun efforts to regain control of the strategically vital waterway. "To further enhance our national security, my administration will be reclaiming the Panama Canal, and we've already started doing it," Trump declared. "We're taking it back."