Trump administration sanctions entire ICC, threatening its banking, insurance and software services as Rubio vows to “end” court unless it changes course
The Trump administration imposed sweeping sanctions on the International Criminal Court on Friday, escalating its campaign from targeting individual judges and prosecutors to sanctioning the tribunal itself and potentially cutting it off from banks, insurers, software providers and other companies. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the ICC a “rogue court” and said Washington would ban transactions with it and cripple its ability to operate, while demanding that U.S. allies pressure the court to address American objections.
“Either the ICC will end its threats, or we will end the ICC,” Rubio said, adding that Washington expects allies that are members of the court to “rein in” the institution. He said the sanctions had been structured to give ICC member states an opportunity to negotiate a solution addressing U.S. concerns, warning that Washington could take further action if those efforts fail.
The sanctions could have far-reaching operational consequences because U.S. restrictions typically prohibit American companies from providing funds, goods or services to sanctioned entities. Banks could close accounts, insurers could withdraw coverage and technology companies could stop providing software and other services. The U.S. Treasury, however, immediately issued limited exemptions covering areas including telecommunications, software, pension payments and transactions related to ICC detainees.
ICC Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan condemned the measures and said they would not stop the court’s investigations and prosecutions. The court has spent months preparing for possible institution-wide sanctions, including moving some computers away from Microsoft products to open-source software and making alternative arrangements for banking and health insurance.
Washington has long opposed the ICC’s attempts to exercise jurisdiction over nationals of countries that have not joined the court. Tensions intensified after the ICC issued arrest warrants in 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. The United States has also opposed the court’s former investigation into alleged crimes involving U.S. forces in Afghanistan, which the ICC has since closed.
The sanctions were announced only hours after South African jurist Navi Pillay, who served as an ICC appeals judge from 2003 to 2008, won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for her work promoting peace and international law. The Nobel Committee said its decision was also intended as a reminder at a time when judges and institutions of international law are facing political attacks.
