Trump administration planning to impose sweeping sanctions on ICC over Netanyahu arrest warrant
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Trump administration planning to impose sweeping sanctions on ICC over Netanyahu arrest warrant")
International Criminal Court headquarters Photograph: (AFP)
Trump administration prepares sweeping sanctions against the International Criminal Court, potentially restricting transactions and threatening the court’s global operations
The Trump administration is preparing sweeping sanctions against the International Criminal Court, according to US officials, marking a significant escalation in Washington’s campaign against the institution after it issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Under the proposed measures, most transactions involving the ICC would be prohibited after a six- to seven-month grace period, according to documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal and US officials. The restrictions could severely disrupt the court’s operations by preventing it from conducting transactions in US dollars and potentially cutting it off from a large portion of the global financial system.
The timing of a final decision remains uncertain. However, some US officials said the sanctions could be finalised as early as this week during the United Nations General Assembly meeting or shortly afterward. A State Department spokesman declined to preview any potential sanctions decisions but pointed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s position that the ICC poses a threat to American sovereignty.
The Treasury Department declined to comment, while the International Criminal Court did not respond to a request for comment.
The United States has already imposed sanctions on several ICC officials as part of its campaign against the court. Those targeted include former Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan, whom the ICC removed in July following sexual assault allegations; ICC President Tomoko Akane; several judges; the court’s two deputy prosecutors; and the lead prosecutor involved in the case against Netanyahu and other Israeli officials. Khan has denied any sexual misconduct.
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The new measures being considered by the Trump administration are expected to be considerably broader and more damaging, officials said. Rather than targeting individual officials, the sanctions would cover a wide range of transactions involving the ICC. According to the documents, transactions related to communications services would be exempt. European countries and other major supporters of the ICC, including Japan, have pledged to defend the court against the Trump administration’s pressure. However, it remains unclear what specific steps they could take. The European Union could potentially require banks across the bloc to continue providing services to the court.
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In July, Rubio said the administration was preparing an extensive campaign against the ICC and said it would dismantle the court “brick by brick” if necessary. Rubio argued that the court’s decision to pursue officials from countries that are not members of the ICC established a dangerous precedent and threatened US sovereignty. Neither the United States nor Israel is a member of the ICC. Rubio’s current position contrasts with his actions in 2022, when, as a US senator, he co-sponsored a resolution supporting an ICC investigation into alleged war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine. Russia, like the United States and Israel, is not an ICC member.
The court subsequently issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials in 2023. The relationship between Washington and the ICC deteriorated sharply following the court’s case against Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. In 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
The court alleged that the two officials had blocked humanitarian aid from entering Gaza as a means of putting pressure on Hamas, conduct that could constitute violations of international humanitarian law. Netanyahu and Gallant have denied the allegations. Former ICC prosecutor Karim Khan had also sought arrest warrants for Hamas leaders over their role in the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Those individuals have since been killed in fighting or assassinations.
The ICC has also been investigating two far-right members of Netanyahu’s government, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. The investigation concerns their alleged roles in expanding Jewish settlements in the West Bank, which the United Nations says violate international law.
