Trump administration readies sweeping sanctions against ICC, reports say

September 21, 2026 at 06:19 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

The Trump administration is preparing sweeping sanctions against the International Criminal Court that could disrupt the tribunal's finances and operations. The measures would prohibit most transactions with the ICC after a grace period of six to seven months. A decision could be finalised during this week's UN General Assembly gathering in New York or soon afterwards.

Key Facts

The sanctions would prohibit most transactions with the ICC after a grace period of six to seven months.
The Trump administration plans to announce the sanctions soon, according to Reuters sources.
Washington has already sanctioned more than a dozen ICC judges and prosecutors under an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in February 2025.
The ICC issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza.

Sanctions Scope

The US sanctions would generally bar US citizens and companies from providing the ICC with money, goods or services without a licence from the US Treasury. Banks and other companies often take an especially cautious approach to US sanctions because they rely on access to the American financial system. The ICC president and registrar have previously warned that sanctions on the organisation as a whole could interfere with its ability to buy information technology and insurance services, hire investigators and make routine payments, including salaries for American employees.

US-ICC Tensions

The United States has never joined the court, and the Trump administration says the court has exceeded its authority by pursuing officials from countries that are not ICC members. Relations deteriorated sharply after the court issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Washington has also objected to an earlier ICC investigation into alleged abuses in Afghanistan involving US personnel. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a campaign in July to further isolate the court and urged other countries to withdraw from it.