The United States has imposed sweeping sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), with Secretary of State Marco Rubio warning that Washington would seek to cripple the institution if it continued what the administration considers threats to American sovereignty.
The sanctions were announced on Friday, October 9, by President Donald Trump’s administration, according to a report by Deutsche Welle. The move came just hours after former ICC judge Navi Pillay was awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.
In a statement, Rubio said transactions between US entities and the ICC had been prohibited, arguing that the measures were necessary to protect American sovereignty.
However, ICC Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan strongly condemned the sanctions, saying they would not prevent the court from carrying out its work.
Founded in 2002, the ICC prosecutes individuals accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. The court has long faced opposition from the Trump administration, which previously imposed sanctions on its prosecutors and judges.
Tensions between Washington and the court have escalated over the ICC’s arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials, prompting strong criticism from both the United States and Israel.
Rubio said Trump would never allow an international court to exercise jurisdiction over American citizens. He described the ICC as “reckless” and said Washington would prohibit all dealings with the institution in an effort to cut off its funding and undermine its operational capacity.
Although both Democrats and Republicans have broadly opposed ICC intervention involving Americans, Rubio argued that Trump had taken decisive action to address the issue.
He issued a stark warning to the court, saying it must stop what Washington considers threats or face efforts to end its existence. Rubio also called on US allies, many of whom are ICC members and rely on American military protection, to help bring the court under control.
“If they do not,” Rubio said, Washington would continue efforts to dismantle the institution until Americans faced no further threats.
The remarks could further strain diplomatic relations between Washington and its European allies, many of which support the ICC and its role in international justice.
The ICC previously investigated the conduct of US troops in Afghanistan. According to the report, the court halted that investigation amid opposition from the US administration.
The court currently has 125 member states, including all European Union countries. The United States and Turkey are not members of the ICC, although Turkey is a NATO member.
Pillay, a South African lawyer, received the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday. She served as a judge in the ICC’s Appeals Division from 2003 to 2008 and has also been associated with international human rights work.
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