Trump Administration Prepares Broad Sanctions Against International Criminal Court

The Trump administration is preparing broad sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC), with an announcement potentially coming during or shortly after the United Nations General Assembly, according to US officials and documents cited by The Wall Street Journal.

The proposed measures would target the ICC as an institution rather than only individual judges or officials.

According to the report, the proposed sanctions could restrict most financial and commercial transactions involving the court. A six-to-seven-month grace period may be provided before the measures fully take effect.

Under the proposed restrictions, US citizens and companies could be barred from providing funds, goods or services to the ICC unless they receive specific authorisation from the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

The measures could also affect the ICC’s access to US dollar transactions and the wider international financial system, as banks with access to the US financial system could limit dealings with the court to avoid potential sanctions exposure.

ICC officials have warned that sanctions targeting the institution could disrupt its day-to-day operations, including information-technology services, insurance, investigative work, financial transactions and salary payments.

According to the report, the Trump administration is also seeking to pressure the ICC to withdraw arrest warrants against Israeli leaders and end investigations involving US military personnel in Afghanistan.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced in July a campaign aimed at isolating the ICC internationally and urged other countries to distance themselves from the court.

Washington has previously imposed sanctions on several ICC judges, prosecutors and other officials, but the proposed measures would represent a broader attempt to target the institution itself.

Tensions between Washington and the ICC intensified after the court issued arrest warrants in 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

The United States is not a member of the ICC. The court was established in 2002 to prosecute individuals for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity under circumstances in which national judicial systems are unable or unwilling to investigate or prosecute such crimes.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the exact timing of any announcement remains unclear, although the issue could be finalised during the UN General Assembly week. Reuters also reported that the proposed sanctions were not immediately confirmed by the US administration.