ICC President Condemns US Sanctions

JNS reported that the Treasury Department issued 180-day general licenses on Friday allowing the court to continue the "maintenance of its operations."

Rubio unveiled the step in a video posted on social media. "We will ban transactions with this rogue court, cutting off their resources and crippling its ability to operate against us," he declared. "The United States and the American people are not subject to the jurisdiction of this fake ICC." He added: "Either the ICC will end its threats, or we will end the ICC."

Rubio also turned to America's allies that are members of the court, noting that many of them rely on American service members for their defense. If they fail to rein in the court, he warned, the US will keep working to dismantle it "piece by piece." At the same time, he said the administration still holds out hope for a diplomatic solution. "We have structured this action to provide an opportunity for states parties to negotiate and present a solution to address our concerns," he said.

Netanyahu, who along with former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has faced an ICC arrest warrant since November 2024, welcomed the decision. "I commend President Trump and Secretary Rubio for taking this critical decision to sanction the ICC," he stated. "The ICC is not a court. It is a political body that poses a mortal threat to law abiding democracies worldwide and to the very idea of national sovereignty. Thank you for your leadership."

In its official statement, the court said Friday's step comes after earlier US designations against thirteen judges and prosecutors. It stressed that it was created by treaty and is backed by 125 States Parties. The court accused Washington of seeking to intimidate "those who work for or cooperate with the Court," adding: "The Court, for its part, will not be deterred." It also urged member governments to make sure it retains "the necessary means to continue its work."

The United Kingdom, Germany, French, Italian, the Netherlands, Danish, Canadian and Japanese governments came out in support of the tribunal in a joint statement. "We regret and strongly disagree with the announcement of sanctions to be imposed upon the court by the United States," the statement read.

Washington's announcement landed on the day South African jurist Navi Pillay was named the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Pillay previously chaired a UN commission of inquiry that accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, a conclusion the Israeli government rejected. According to The Associated Press, the administration had decided on the sanctions well before the award was announced.

Last month, as JFeed reported, The Wall Street Journal and Reuters revealed that the administration was preparing sanctions against the entire court.