US sanctions International Criminal Court
Shafaq News- Washington
US President Donald Trump’s administration imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday, targeting the institution itself after previously sanctioning individual judges and prosecutors.
The measures block any ICC assets within US jurisdiction and give US companies and individuals six months to wind down business with the court.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused the ICC of improperly targeting Americans and Israelis and rejected its jurisdiction over US citizens. “We will ban transactions with this rogue court, cutting off their resources and crippling its ability to operate against us,” he said in a video address.
Today, the Trump Administration is sanctioning the ICC. This action should encourage our Allies within the Court to work for solutions to end this threat to U.S. sovereignty forever. https://t.co/D86dCqLUaZ
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) October 9, 2026
Washington has accused the Hague-based tribunal of politicizing war-crimes investigations and pursuing Americans and Israelis without legitimate jurisdiction. Rubio warned that the US would continue taking action unless the court ended what he called its threats against the country.
The ICC condemned the sanctions as an attempt to obstruct justice and an attack on the international legal order. Court President Tomoko Akane said the institution would continue carrying out its mandate independently and appealed to member states for support.
The #ICC strongly rejects US sanctions against the institution ⤵️ https://t.co/cQZ5JLMJYx
— Int'l Criminal Court (@IntlCrimCourt) October 9, 2026
The announcement came hours after South African jurist Navi Pillay, a former judge at the ICC and other international courts, received the Nobel Peace Prize.
The Trump administration has repeatedly sanctioned ICC prosecutors and judges. Washington has also opposed the court’s arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and an earlier investigation into alleged crimes by US personnel in Afghanistan that the ICC has since deprioritized.
