The Trump administration is preparing sanctions that could severely restrict the International Criminal Court’s access to banking and other essential services, expanding its campaign against a tribunal it accuses of threatening American sovereignty.
The proposed restrictions would target the institution itself, extending beyond sanctions already imposed on individual judges, prosecutors and other officials. That approach could disrupt the court’s operations by discouraging banks and businesses from providing services, including companies outside the United States that depend on access to the American financial system, explained Reuters.
According to reports, the administration’s plan would block most transactions with the Hague-based court following a six- to seven-month grace period. The restrictions would prohibit dollar transactions, with an exemption for communications-related transactions, according to the report.
The administration has not announced a final decision or an implementation date. Some U.S. officials said an announcement could come during this week’s United Nations General Assembly in New York or soon afterward.
The proposal follows Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s July announcement of a campaign to “dismantle the threat posed by the International Criminal Court to U.S. sovereignty.” Rubio cited the court’s investigations involving American military and intelligence personnel as a central reason for the administration’s opposition.
“The ICC poses an intolerable threat to U.S. sovereignty – it claims the authority to prosecute and even imprison American servicemen and officials operating on behalf of America’s national interest,” Rubio said in July. “Americans never signed up for this, and all American presidents since the ICC’s ratification have maintained that the ICC does not have jurisdiction over Americans. The ICC previously opened an investigation into U.S. servicemen and intelligence officers and has since refused to close these cases.”
Trump imposed sanctions soon after returning to office in 2025, accusing the court of engaging “in illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel.” Neither country has ratified the Rome Statute, the treaty establishing the tribunal.
The confrontation also involves the court’s 2024 arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which alleged that he bears “criminal responsibility” for conduct during the Gaza war. Trump has defended Netanyahu and opposed efforts to enforce the warrant, while some American politicians, including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, have supported its enforcement.
In July, Trump said Rubio’s campaign was aimed at protecting Netanyahu and others, rather than shielding the president himself. “[Rubio] is not trying to defend me. He’s trying to defend Bibi and various other people,” Trump said. “But there are many people that shouldn’t be looked at that way. But there is no indication that I’m one of them at this moment.”
A State Department spokesman declined to discuss specific sanctions under consideration and reiterated Rubio’s objections to the court. Meanwhile, the Netherlands and the tribunal have been preparing for possible disruptions to financial and technology services, including difficulties paying staff and maintaining routine operations.
