The USA sanctioned the International Criminal Court itself, signalling its opposition to the institution that protects the international laws Trump's regime so readily break. Eight of America's closest allies told him that they "regret and strongly disagree" with the sanctions placed on the courts. The foreign ministers of Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the Netherlands reaffirmed the court's "independence and impartiality" and warned that the sanctions would hit its operations, its staff and their families.
Until now the United States had targeted individuals: more than a dozen judges and prosecutors since February 2025, including, in August, the court's president, Tomoko Akane. Nine of the court's eighteen judges, both deputy prosecutors and the former prosecutor were already on the list. Friday's order designates the court as an institution. Its assets under American jurisdiction are blocked and American companies and citizens are barred from doing business with it. The Treasury allows 180 days for some services to wind down. "Either the ICC will end its threats, or we will end the ICC," Rubio said, and promised to take it apart "brick by brick."
The threats he means are arrest warrants. In November 2024 the court issued them for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant over the genocide in Gaza. It had earlier opened an investigation into American crimes in Afghanistan, which the first Trump regime answered with the first sanctions in 2020. Neither the United States nor Israel accepts the court's jurisdiction. The 125 states that do include every member of the European Union, Canada, Japan, Australia, Britain and most of Latin America and Africa.
The announcement came hours after the Nobel Committee gave the Peace Prize to Navi Pillay, a former ICC judge. UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres called the sanctions "a serious blow to our collective pursuit of international criminal justice." The court called them "an assault on the rule of law". Akane said it "will continue to fully discharge its mandate, with independence and impartiality."
The eight ministers belong to the governments Washington normally would call their closest allies, with the obvious exception of Israel. That closeness is why their statement matters.
They welcomed the court's preparations for the sanctions and committed to "constructive and inclusive dialogue" with states outside the Rome Statute before the court's assembly in December. The European Commission called the move "deeply regrettable" and said it would work with all 125 member states to protect the court.
European Council president Antonio Costa said the EU would act to protect the court. Denmark's Lars Lokke Rasmussen said his country "profoundly disagrees" with the move from the Trump regime. Austria's Beate Meinl-Reisinger didn't mince words, stating: "We condemn these sanctions in the strongest possible terms." The Netherlands, the court's host, called it an "undesirable new escalation." Sweden said accountability institutions "are needed more than ever". Switzerland and Portugal also condemned the move. Belgium asked the EU to switch on its blocking statute, the law that forbids European companies from complying with foreign sanctions, which would work to reverse much of the damage the USA is trying to do.
When the first sanctions came in February 2025, 79 member states signed a statement warning that they "increase the risk of impunity for the most serious crimes." When Akane was sanctioned in August, Guterres expressed "serious concern" and she warned of "the demise of international rule of law." What is new is the target. A court can replace a sanctioned prosecutor. It cannot bank, pay staff or buy software if the institution itself is designated.
The USA wants to shut down the guardians of international law, because the USA is currently run by a regime who consistently breaks international law, and plans to keep doing so. Now more than ever, the world needs the ICC. Now more than ever, the U.S. public needs the ICC to survive.
