US imposes sanctions on ICC, threatens to 'dismantle' court

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Friday that Washington has imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court, declaring that President Donald Trump would "never allow" the tribunal to prosecute American citizens. "President Trump will never allow the International Criminal Court to prosecute Americans. That is why, today, the United States is sanctioning the International Criminal Court," Rubio said in a statement issued hours after former ICC judge Navi Pillay won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.

Rubio said Washington had deferred the designation in hopes that the court would change course or be restrained by States Parties, but neither had taken meaningful steps to address US concerns. "Either the ICC will end its threats, or we will end the ICC," he said, adding that Washington would dismantle the court "brick by brick" if allies failed to rein it in.

Court rejects measures

The ICC strongly rejected the sanctions, describing them as an assault on the rule of law and urging its member states to ensure the institution's continued operation. The denunciation follows months of intensified US pressure after the court issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza.

Washington previously sanctioned individual ICC judges, including court President Tomoko Akane in August, as the administration escalated its response to the Israel investigation. Neither the United States nor Israel is a party to the Rome Statute that established The Hague-based tribunal.

White House defends action

Trump defended the sanctions campaign at a Cabinet meeting on July 31, insisting that Rubio's efforts were not designed to protect him personally. "He's trying to defend Bibi and various other people," the president told reporters at Camp David, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname.

The ICC counts 125 member states worldwide and was established to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. Friday's measures represent the most significant escalation in Washington's long-running opposition to the court's jurisdiction over American military personnel and officials.