Marco Rubio Warns U.S. Could Inflict Severe Damage on International Criminal Court Over Netanyahu Case
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned that Washington could take further punitive action against the International Criminal Court unless it changes its approach to officials from countries outside its founding treaty, arguing that proceedings against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could eventually be used against Americans.
“We can inflict tremendous damage on the ICC unless they see the error of their ways,” Rubio said in remarks attributed to him.
“Today it's Netanyahu, tomorrow it will be an American,” he warned, arguing that the dispute concerned the court's authority rather than any particular individual.
Speaking to reporters before traveling to Paris for G7 talks, Rubio said U.S. allies still had an opportunity to persuade the ICC to change its position.
“The ICC will not be in good shape if we have to get there,” he warned.
The court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024 over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Both deny wrongdoing.
Although Israel and the United States are not ICC members, the court maintains that it can prosecute crimes committed on the territory of a member state, including by nationals of nonmember countries. Washington disputes that authority.
The Trump administration imposed sweeping sanctions on the ICC in October. Rubio's latest warning did not identify additional measures or when they might take effect.
On U.S. military assistance to Israel, Rubio argued that the country was now wealthy enough to purchase American weapons without relying on Washington to finance them.
“On the question of financing, I think Israel has clearly graduated beyond that at this point,” he said.
The proposed shift from military grants to arms sales follows Trump's announcement that he wants to end direct U.S. military assistance to Israel. The existing aid agreement runs through 2028, and changes to congressional funding would require lawmakers' involvement.
Rubio also defended Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth against efforts to impeach him over the Iran war.
“Pete Hegseth has done a great job,” Rubio said, describing him as intelligent and professional. He called the impeachment effort unfair.
Separately, Rubio pointed to Ukraine's prolonged absence of elections, noting that the country remained at war. Ukrainian law prohibits national elections under martial law, which has been in effect since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.