The United States has announced a sweeping campaign against the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing the Hague-based institution of posing “an intolerable threat to US sovereignty.”
In a major escalation of tensions with the international court, the Trump administration said it would seek to weaken the ICC by encouraging countries to withdraw from the body and cut off financial support.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the announcement on Monday, claiming that the ICC and its allies were using international law to target the United States.
“The ICC and its friends are waging a war against our country, not with bullets or missiles, but with statutes, compacts and the force of so-called international law,” Rubio said in a video statement.
The US State Department said the campaign would work to “systematically disable” the court’s ability to operate and prevent it from targeting American servicemen and government officials.
Washington has long opposed the ICC’s authority over US citizens. American officials argue that the country never agreed to the court’s jurisdiction and that no ICC prosecutor should have the power to investigate or prosecute Americans acting in the country’s national interest.
The latest move follows sanctions imposed earlier this year on several ICC officials after the court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the war in Gaza.
According to a State Department official, the US could impose additional travel bans and financial sanctions on individuals associated with the court. Countries that continue supporting the ICC while relying on US assistance could also face increased scrutiny.
The ICC was established in 2002 to prosecute individuals accused of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. However, several major powers, including the United States, Russia, China and India, are not members of the court.
The campaign comes as some nations have recently moved away from the ICC. Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger initiated withdrawal procedures this month, describing the court as “an instrument of neo-colonial repression.”
Meanwhile, three ICC judges sanctioned by the Trump administration filed a lawsuit in June, arguing that the measures imposed on them were unlawful and intended to pressure the court politically.
Despite growing criticism from Washington, the ICC maintains that it operates independently and remains committed to holding individuals accountable for the world’s gravest crimes.
The latest US action is expected to deepen divisions over international justice and could significantly impact the court’s political and financial support worldwide.
