The United States is imposing sweeping sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), seeking to restrict its financial transactions and severely limit the institution’s ability to operate, the US Department of State announced.
In an official statement, Washington said the measures are intended to disrupt the activities of the court, based in The Hague, by cutting off its financial resources and significantly restricting its institutional capacity.
“President Trump will never allow the International Criminal Court to prosecute US citizens,” the statement said, describing the court as an institution operating “out of control.”
The United States is not a party to the Rome Statute, the ICC’s founding treaty, and opposes the court’s exercise of jurisdiction over American citizens, including US military personnel and political leaders.
However, the ICC’s jurisdiction is not limited exclusively to nationals of countries that have joined the Rome Statute. Under certain circumstances, the court may investigate and prosecute alleged crimes committed on the territory of a member state or following a referral by the United Nations Security Council.
Washington had previously imposed sanctions on individual judges and prosecutors associated with the court, which is mandated to investigate and prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression.
According to the State Department, Washington had delayed imposing sanctions on the institution itself in the hope that the ICC or its member states would address American concerns. The department said, however, that neither had taken meaningful steps toward resolving them.
The US administration said it remained open to a diplomatic solution but warned that further measures could follow if the court did not change its position.
“Either the ICC will end its threats, or we will end it,” the statement said, warning that the United States would continue its efforts to dismantle the institution “brick by brick.”
The measures place at the center of the debate a fundamental clash between Washington’s insistence on protecting national sovereignty and the principle of international criminal accountability for the gravest crimes. Their impact will depend on the precise scope of the sanctions, the response of ICC member states and the court’s ability to maintain its operations.
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