US Hits ‘Rogue’ International Criminal Court With Sweeping Sanctions

On Friday the Trump administration rolled out sweeping sanctions on the International Criminal Court, calling it a “rogue” organization and declaring that the action is part of an effort to ultimately dismantle the tribunal.

“We will ban transactions with this rogue court, cutting off their resources and crippling its ability to operate against us,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a video address on social media. “The United States and the American people are not subject to the jurisdiction of this fake ICC.”

Rubio continued, saying of Republicans and Democrats, “Both parties agree on this, but only President Trump has the resolve to take the action needed to end this threat once and for all.” He then warned: “Either the ICC will end its threats, or we will end the ICC.“

Importantly, the top American diplomat then turned to pressuring Americans allies, from European countries to Japan, to join the US-led sanctions and efforts to dismantle the ICC.

“We expect our allies, many of whom are part of the ICC and that rely on American service members for their defense, to rein in this rogue court,” he said.

“If they do not, the United States will continue its campaign to dismantle the ICC, piece by piece, until Americans are threatened no longer,” he added.

Ironically all of this stems in part from ICC action related to the US invasions and occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan, where yes – real US war crimes took place. These Bush-launched wars remain deeply unpopular among the American population – and even President Trump has long derided Bush’s infamous war of choice.

The Associated Press writes on Friday:

U.S. believes has become politicized and attempted to unfairly and illegally prosecute Americans and Israelis on war crimes charges.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the sanctions on Friday, after the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to South African prosecutor Navi Pillay, who had led investigations into potential ICC charges against U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. The move, however, long predated the Nobel Prize announcement.

The Trump administration imposed targeted sanctions last year on several ICC officials such as prosecutors and judges, citing the ICC’s 2024 decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime ​Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over what the court alleged were improper actions carried out by the Israeli government during its war in Gaza.

Earlier in 2026, three sitting ICC judges sued Trump and his administration over the sanctions, arguing that they were unlawful.

And then again in August, the US imposed additional targeted sanctions, namely against International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane and Senior Trial Lawyer Abdoulaye Seye.

Washington has scoffed at the court and sought to erode its influence stretching back multiple administrations, all the way back to the George W Bush era itself. But all this was renewed as the ICC began targeting Israel and its leaders in the wake of the Gaza war.