The U.S. government is drafting measures to sanction the ICC as an institution, potentially targeting its operations and funding.

The Trump administration is preparing to impose sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. While the administration has previously sanctioned individual judges and prosecutors, these new measures would target the court as an institution. Officials indicated that the decision could be finalized as early as this week during the United Nations General Assembly, though the U.S. State Department has not confirmed the plans.

Potential Impact of Sanctions

Entity-wide sanctions from the U.S. Treasury would likely prohibit American citizens and companies from providing funds, goods, or services to the ICC without a license from the Office of Foreign Assets Control. Such restrictions could disrupt essential court functions, including staff payments, IT services, and the hiring of investigators.

U.S. Stance on the Tribunal

The United States does not recognize the ICC and has never been a member, maintaining that the court’s jurisdiction should not apply to American or allied soldiers. U.S. officials have explicitly called for the court to halt its investigation into U.S. troops in Afghanistan and to drop arrest warrants issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas military commander Mohammed Dief. In July, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a campaign to isolate the court and urged other nations to withdraw from the tribunal.