U.S. State Department launches campaign to pressure countries to abandon International Criminal Court

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States will pursue a "whole-of-government" campaign to dismantle the International Criminal Court (ICC) and called on other nations to join the effort. He wrote in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece that the U.S. will use "all the tools at our government’s disposal" – including travel bans, visa revocations and sanctions – to pressure countries that host U.S. forces or receive U.S. security assistance to reject the ICC’s authority.

A State Department official warned that nations that continue to rely on U.S. assistance while refusing to denounce the ICC could face increased scrutiny and potential cuts to aid. The official added that senior officials, including the secretary, deputy secretary and U.S. ambassadors, are contacting foreign governments to encourage them to withdraw from the court and halt any financial support to it.

Rubio has previously accused the ICC of targeting U.S. actions in Afghanistan and other regions, and the current administration has imposed sanctions on ICC officials for their investigative efforts. He also characterized the court as being influenced by “leftist nongovernment organizations, smug globalists, and hostile Third World governments.”

The campaign also seeks to enlist nations that are not ICC members, urging them to use diplomatic channels to isolate the court. The International Criminal Court has not responded to requests for comment.