Trump Administration Prepares Sweeping Sanctions Against International Criminal Court

The Trump administration is preparing sweeping sanctions that could cut the International Criminal Court (ICC) off from much of the global financial system, according to documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal and U.S. officials.

Dutch officials are preparing for the United States to impose a tough new round of sanctions on the ICC. The proposed sanctions would bar most transactions involving the ICC after a six- to seven-month wind-down period. These measures could also prevent the court from conducting transactions in U.S. dollars, potentially disrupting its day-to-day operations, including paying employees, translators, and vendors.

The U.S. and Israel have strongly objected to the court’s arrest warrants for top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over the war in Gaza. The U.S. also opposes investigations into its military actions in Afghanistan. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the actions as a sweeping campaign to dismantle the threat posed by the International Criminal Court.

Rubio announced a campaign in July to isolate the court, calling on other countries to withdraw from the tribunal. The Netherlands, the court’s host country, has been notified of the imminent sanctions and is exploring ways to help the tribunal continue operating. When the court’s former chief prosecutor was sanctioned in 2025, he lost access to his Microsoft email, his bank accounts were frozen, and he was barred from entering the United States. The ICC currently has 125 member states. The United States is among countries that have never joined the panel.