Trump administration readies sweeping sanctions against ICC, reports say

The Trump administration is preparing a package of sanctions aimed directly at the International Criminal Court, US media reported. According to the Wall Street Journal and Reuters, the steps would generally prohibit most transactions between US persons and the Hague-based tribunal after a six- to seven-month grace period, unless a licence is issued by the US Treasury. Officials quoted by the Journal said a decision could be finalised around the United Nations General Assembly in New York or shortly after. US-flagged banks and companies typically adopt conservative compliance stances because access to the American financial system is critical, which could amplify the practical impact of the restrictions on the court’s finances and operations. ICC leaders have warned that sanctions imposed on the institution as a whole could disrupt a range of functions, including procurement of IT and insurance services, hiring of investigators, and routine payments such as salaries for American staff. Washington has already sanctioned individual ICC judges and prosecutors under a February 2025 executive order, and in August added the court’s president, Tomoko Akane, and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye to the list, with restrictions taking effect on Sept. 17. The United States has never been an ICC member and has criticized the court for pursuing officials from non-member states. Tensions rose after the ICC issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Israeli leaders over alleged crimes in Gaza and from an earlier ICC probe into alleged abuses in Afghanistan involving US personnel. The reported institutional sanctions follow a recent US push, led publicly by Secretary of State Marco Rubio in July, to further isolate the court, while several countries have moved to withdraw from the ICC in recent months. Four US-based rights groups sued the Trump administration in August, arguing that existing sanctions impede their legal and human-rights work.