Trump ramps up bid to dismantle International Criminal Court with sweeping sanctions: Report

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump’s administration is reportedly preparing sweeping sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC), potentially restricting the global tribunal’s access to the US financial system, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

The proposed measures would target the court as an institution rather than only individual judges and prosecutors already under US sanctions. The move would further escalate Washington’s campaign against the ICC after it issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

Proposed sanctions could restrict ICC’s financial access

According to documents reviewed by the outlet and US officials cited by it, the proposed sanctions would prohibit most transactions with the ICC after a six- to seven-month grace period. The measures could potentially prevent the court from conducting transactions in US dollars, which could restrict its access to a significant portion of the global financial system.

The sanctions would also apply broadly to transactions involving the court rather than focusing only on specific officials. They would reportedly restrict US citizens and companies from providing funds, goods or services to the ICC without authorization from the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.

The potential restrictions could affect the organization’s routine operations, including information-technology services, insurance, investigative work, and other financial transactions. The court also has dozens of American employees whose salaries and other payments could potentially be affected.

The timing of the measures remains uncertain. Some US officials told the outlet that the decision could be finalized during the United Nations General Assembly meeting or in the days afterward. 

The US has already imposed sanctions on several ICC officials, including ICC President Tomoko Akane, judges, prosecutors, and former Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan. In August, the administration also sanctioned Akane and a senior trial lawyer, extending its existing campaign against the court.

Trump administration has escalated pressure on ICC

The Trump administration had increasingly pressured the institution for months before reports of the proposed institution-wide sanctions surfaced. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in July that Washington was launching a broader campaign to isolate the ICC and urged other countries to distance themselves from the tribunal. Rubio has argued that the court’s actions against officials from countries that are not members of the ICC pose a threat to US sovereignty.

The institution issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Netanyahu and Gallant over allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the Gaza war. Both Israeli officials have denied the allegations. The ICC had also sought warrants for leaders of a Gazan extremist organization over their role in the October 7, 2023, attacks.

The ICC is also investigating Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir over their roles in expanding Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Israel and the US are not members of the court and reject its jurisdiction in these cases.

The ICC was established in 2002 to prosecute genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity when national legal systems are unable or unwilling to pursue such cases. The US has never joined the court.