Rubio Imposes Financial Sanctions on International Criminal Court

The Trump administration is escalating its campaign against the International Criminal Court (ICC) by imposing financial sanctions directly on the Netherlands-based institution. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the measures Friday, October 9, 2026, citing concerns about the court's authority over American personnel and its prosecution of alleged international crimes.

According to the administration, the sanctions will freeze ICC assets subject to US jurisdiction and generally prohibit American individuals, businesses, and banks from conducting transactions with the court. The Treasury Department has issued a 180-day general license allowing the ICC to maintain its operations while addressing US concerns, meaning the restrictions will not take effect immediately.

The administration had previously sanctioned 17 individuals connected to the ICC, including judges and prosecutors. Friday's announcement marks the first time the United States has targeted the institution itself, according to the reported details of the policy.

Rubio argued that the court claims authority to prosecute US service members operating overseas and potentially US Border Patrol agents. However, there is no evidence that the ICC has sought to investigate or prosecute Border Patrol agents, although Rubio raised the possibility in July.

In a prerecorded video released Friday morning, Rubio defended the administration's position on the court's jurisdiction.

"Our message is clear: the United States and the American people are not subject to the jurisdiction of this fake ICC. 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." Rubio, the secretary of state, said.

Rubio also called on US allies that belong to the ICC to address the administration's objections, pointing to their reliance on American military personnel for defense.

"Either the ICC will end its threats, or we will end the ICC. And 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," Rubio said.

He described the sanctions as part of a broader effort to dismantle the institution if it does not change its approach to American personnel.

"If they do not, the United States will continue its campaign to dismantle the ICC piece by piece until Americans are threatened no longer." Rubio said.

The ICC strongly rejected the measures, arguing that they threaten the independence of an international judicial institution established by treaty. The court said 125 States Parties have entrusted it with investigating and prosecuting genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression.

In its statement Friday, the court characterized the US action as a threat to international legal institutions.

"This measure targets an independent judicial institution, created by treaty and entrusted by 125 States Parties with investigating and prosecuting genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression," the ICC said.

The court also argued that the sanctions could interfere with its judicial responsibilities.

"It is an attempt to obstruct the course of justice and to prevent the Court from doing what it was created to do." the ICC added.

ICC President Tomoko Akane, whom the Trump administration sanctioned in August, said the court would continue operating despite the new restrictions.

The dispute over US jurisdiction has historical precedents. In 2017, an ICC prosecutor sought authorization to investigate alleged war crimes committed by US military and intelligence personnel in Afghanistan. Judges initially rejected the request, but an appeals ruling in 2020 allowed the investigation to proceed. The prosecutor later de-prioritized allegations involving US personnel to focus on alleged crimes committed by the Taliban and ISIS-K.

Another major point of contention is the ICC's 2024 arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The court alleged that both officials were responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity against Palestinians in Gaza during Israel's military response to the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks. Both men have denied wrongdoing.

In a February 2025 executive order authorizing sanctions against ICC officials, President Donald Trump called the warrants baseless and argued that the court had exceeded its authority because Israel is not an ICC member. The ICC maintains that it can exercise jurisdiction over nationals of nonmember states when alleged crimes occur on the territory of a state that has accepted the court's jurisdiction.