A convoy of US navy warships have passed through the Suez Canal in Egypt on their way to the Mediterranean Sea.

The convoy, which included the destroyer the USS James Williams and the attack submarine the USS Toledo, will bolster forces in the Mediterranean.

It is not clear whether the vessels were bound for the coast of Syria, but both Russia and the US have periodically increased their military footprint in the region as the bloody civil war in Syria continues.

The canal is one of the world's busiest waterways and a vital source of foreign currency revenue for Egypt's economy.