US sanctions International Criminal Court as row deepens over jurisdiction

The United States has imposed sweeping sanctions on the International Criminal Court, escalating a long-running dispute over the tribunal's authority and reach. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the measures are intended to defend US sovereignty and restrict the court's ability to operate. The action includes a ban on US entities making transactions with the ICC, which would affect access to goods and services such as banking and software.

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Rubio said Washington had delayed the move in the hope that the court and its member states would address US concerns. He also said the sanctions were structured to allow other countries to negotiate a possible solution, while urging US allies that are ICC signatories to rein in the institution. The ICC said the measures were an assault on the rule of law and were designed to disrupt its work and intimidate those who cooperate with it.

The latest step comes as the Trump administration continues to challenge the court over its investigations and arrest warrants. Washington has objected to the ICC's work on alleged abuses in Afghanistan, which could involve US personnel, and to warrants issued for Israeli officials over the war in Gaza. The US position is that it never ratified the treaty that created the court and is therefore not subject to its jurisdiction, while the ICC maintains it can act in cases linked to member states.

The timing also adds political weight to the announcement. It came just hours after former ICC judge Navi Pillay received the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for her work on peace and international law. The court said it would not be deterred, but the sanctions raise questions about how the tribunal will continue to function if access to financial and technical services is restricted.

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The ICC is a permanent court based in The Hague and depends on cooperation from states and outside providers to carry out investigations and prosecutions. Earlier US pressure has already targeted judges, prosecutors, a UN special rapporteur and Palestinian rights groups linked to evidence-gathering. This latest move broadens the dispute from individuals to the institution itself, increasing the legal and diplomatic stakes.

What remains unclear is how quickly the sanctions will be enforced and whether they will affect the court's day-to-day operations in practice. It is also not yet clear whether the ICC's member states will respond with any coordinated support or diplomatic pushback. The court says it will continue its work, but the coming days will show whether the restrictions create operational delays or trigger further legal challenges.

The United States has announced sanctions directly targeting the International Criminal Court, marking a new escalation in its campaign against the tribunal. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the measures are aimed at the court itself, rather than only individual judges, prosecutors or outside supporters. He said the move would block transactions with what he called a "rogue court" and cut off resources needed for it to operate.

Rubio made the announcement in a video posted on social media on Friday. He said the administration's message was that the United States and American citizens are not subject to the court's jurisdiction. He also said the administration would either see the court end its threats or "end the ICC".

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The sanctions are part of a broader effort by the Trump administration, which has said it wants an "all of government" approach to dismantling the tribunal. The administration has pointed to two main issues in defending the move. One is the court's investigation into alleged abuses in Afghanistan, which could involve US military and intelligence personnel.

The other is the court's arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza. Before Friday's announcement, the United States had already sanctioned ICC judges and prosecutors, a UN special rapporteur focused on the occupied Palestinian territories, and Palestinian rights groups that had provided evidence to the court. The latest action matters because it targets the institution itself, not just individuals linked to its work.

That raises the stakes in a long-running dispute between Washington and the court over jurisdiction, accountability and the reach of international law. The ICC is a permanent tribunal created by the Rome Statute, and the United States and Israel are not parties to that treaty. Even so, the court has maintained that it can pursue cases involving conduct on the territory of states that are members of the statute.

The move also comes amid growing legal and political pushback. Several rights groups have challenged earlier sanctions in US federal court, arguing that restrictions on interaction with the court affect constitutional freedoms. Sanctioned ICC judges have also launched legal challenges in the United States.

Deputy prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan said the sanctions "must be condemned" and argued they were intended to undermine the rule of law internationally and the work of an independent judicial institution. What remains unclear is how far the new sanctions will go in practice and whether they will affect the court's day-to-day operations. The ICC has said its work will continue across its situations, investigations and prosecutions.

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