U.S. Administration Moves to Impose Broad Sanctions on International Criminal Court
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The Trump administration is preparing sanctions that would bar most U.S. transactions with the ICC, potentially affecting the court's finances and operations.
The United States is set to announce sanctions that would prohibit most transactions with the International Criminal Court after a six- to seven-month grace period, according to officials familiar with the plan. The measures would require U.S. citizens and companies to obtain a Treasury Department licence before providing the court with money, goods or services.
"Sanctions on the organisation as a whole could interfere with its ability to buy information technology and insurance services, hire investigators and make routine payments, including salaries for American employees," the ICC president and registrar warned.
If enacted, the restrictions could affect the court’s ability to pay staff, obtain insurance and procure essential IT services, as banks and other firms typically avoid dealings that could trigger U.S. sanctions. The move represents an escalation in Washington’s campaign against the Hague-based tribunal, which has previously targeted individual ICC judges and prosecutors.
The United States has never been a party to the ICC and has previously sanctioned more than a dozen ICC officials under an executive order signed in February 2025. Recent tensions have risen after the court issued arrest warrants for Israeli leaders and after U.S. objections to investigations involving American personnel in Afghanistan. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called for broader isolation of the court, and several countries have announced plans to withdraw from the ICC in recent months.