Trump Escalates Campaign Against ICC With Sweeping Sanctions

The Trump administration is preparing sweeping sanctions against the International Criminal Court that could sharply restrict its access to the global financial system.

The planned measures would prohibit most transactions with the ICC following a six-to-seven-month grace period, according to documents and U.S. officials cited in the draft.

The restrictions could prevent the court from conducting transactions in U.S. dollars, escalating Washington’s campaign against the institution after its arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

A final decision has not been announced. Some U.S. officials said the measures could be finalized during the United Nations General Assembly meeting or in the days that follow, according to The Wall Street Journal.

From Individual Officials to the Court Itself

Washington has already imposed sanctions on a series of ICC officials, including former chief prosecutor Karim Khan, ICC President Tomoko Akane, several judges, two deputy prosecutors and the lead prosecutor in the case involving Netanyahu and other Israeli officials.

Khan was removed by the ICC in July over sexual assault allegations, which he has denied.

The next round would go considerably further by targeting transactions with the institution rather than focusing primarily on named individuals.

Documents outlining the measures indicate that transactions involving communications services would be exempt.

The Treasury Department declined to comment. The ICC did not respond to a request for comment.

A State Department spokesman did not discuss possible sanctions decisions but pointed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s position that the court threatens U.S. sovereignty.

Rubio Vows to Target the Institution

Rubio said in July that the administration was preparing a broader campaign against the ICC and would dismantle it “brick by brick” if necessary.

He has argued that the court created a dangerous precedent by pursuing officials from countries that are not ICC members. Neither the U.S. nor Israel is a member of the court.

That position contrasts with Rubio’s stance in 2022, when, as a senator, he co-sponsored a resolution urging the ICC to investigate alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine.

Russia is also not an ICC member. The court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials in 2023.

Netanyahu Warrants Deepen Rupture

Relations between Washington and the ICC deteriorated sharply after the court issued arrest warrants in 2024 for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

The two were accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the conduct of the war in Gaza.

The court alleged that Netanyahu and Gallant restricted humanitarian aid entering the Palestinian territory as a means of applying pressure on Hamas, conduct that could violate humanitarian law.

Both men have denied the allegations.

Khan had also sought warrants for Hamas leaders over their role in the October 7, 2023 attack. Those figures have since been killed in combat or assassinated.

ICC Backers Weigh Response

European governments and other major supporters of the court, including Japan, have pledged to shield the ICC from U.S. pressure, though the draft says it remains unclear what measures they would adopt.

One possible response would involve the European Union requiring banks in the bloc to continue providing services to the court.

The broader sanctions under consideration could make that effort more difficult if financial institutions are forced to choose between servicing the ICC and maintaining access to U.S.-linked transactions.

The ICC is also investigating Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir over their roles in the expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, which violate international law.