US sanctions ICC directly under Trump's 'all of government' strategy

United States sanctions International Criminal Court itself in latest escalation. This move aims to starve the international tribunal of resources, following a vow from the Trump administration to dismantle it completely. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered new penalties that target the entity directly, rather than just its officials or supporters. The announcement on Friday marks another step up for President Donald Trump's team, which promises an "all of government" strategy to bring this court down.

"We will ban transactions with this rogue court, cutting off their resources and crippling their ability to operate against us because our message is clear: the United States and the American people are not subject to the jurisdiction of this fake ICC," Rubio said in a video posted on social media. "Either the ICC will end its threats, or we will end the ICC."

The administration justifies these actions by pointing to an ongoing investigation into abuses in Afghanistan that could trap US military and intelligence staff. They also cite the arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant regarding war crimes in Gaza. Before Friday, Washington had already penalized ICC judges, prosecutors, a UN special rapporteur on Palestinian territories, and rights groups providing evidence to the court. Several of those targeted have challenged these sanctions in US federal court, arguing that restricting how Americans interact with the court violates their constitutional freedoms. Sanctioned judges have filed similar legal challenges here at home.

Nazhat Shameem Khan, deputy prosecutor speaking to Reuters on Friday, called for an end to this pressure. "The sanctions must be condemned," she stated. "They are intended to undermine the rule of law internationally and the work that an independent judicial institution is doing." She added that their investigations and prosecutions will continue regardless of these obstacles.

The US and Israel did not sign the Rome Statute, the treaty establishing the court's jurisdiction. Yet the court has ruled that abuses committed by citizens of non-member states on the soil of member countries can be prosecuted. To date, no US citizen faces prosecution. Rights observers warn this campaign could cripple investigations relying on local organizations and fact-finders. Washington has urged other nations to leave the court too, suggesting it will review allies' relationships with the ICC when deciding foreign aid. This push matches growing wariness among some members about unequal application of international law, where offenders in the Global South face accountability more often than others. In July, Chad and Venezuela moved to withdraw after Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger did so.

Friday's news broke just hours after the Nobel Peace Prize went to South African jurist Navi Pillay, a former ICC judge. The judges awarded the prize noted that they do so when "judges and institutions of international law are under political attack." They insisted that an international legal system where war criminals face consequences is a precondition for peace.