Trump Administration Launches Aggressive Attack on International Justice by Targeting ICC
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The Trump administration is preparing sweeping sanctions to cripple the International Criminal Court, threatening its finances and operations in a blatant attempt to shield powerful allies from accountability.
The United States is set to announce draconian 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. These measures would force U.S. citizens and companies to obtain a Treasury Department licence before providing the court with money, goods or services, creating bureaucratic obstacles designed to undermine the ICC’s mission.
"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, highlighting the human cost of Washington’s reckless campaign.
If enacted, the restrictions could devastate 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. This move represents a dangerous escalation in Washington’s war on international justice, targeting the Hague-based tribunal after previously singling out individual ICC judges and prosecutors for retribution.
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 soared after the court courageously 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—under pressure from Washington—have announced plans to withdraw from the ICC in recent months, threatening the very foundations of global accountability.