Trump decides to finish off the ICC - devastating sanctions being prepared

The Trump administration is preparing unprecedented sanctions against the International Criminal Court as an organization, not against individuals. The new package includes a ban on most transactions with the ICC after a transition period of 6-7 months. The restrictions will affect access to dollar settlements and financial services, which could paralyze the court's work in The Hague.

The administration of US President Donald Trump is preparing unprecedented sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC), which for the first time will target not individual judges and prosecutors but the organization as a whole. According to The Wall Street Journal, the new package includes a ban on most transactions with the ICC after a transition period of six to seven months. Exceptions are expected for a limited range of operations, particularly those related to communication services. The restriction mechanism will allow the US Treasury Department to prohibit American citizens and companies from doing business with the court without special permission. Particularly sensitive could be the restriction of the ICC's access to dollar settlements and financial services, since a significant portion of international transactions pass through the US financial infrastructure. Reuters notes that foreign banks, insurance companies, technology providers, and other organizations may refuse to cooperate with the ICC due to legal and financial risks. The main cause of the conflict was the court's actions regarding Israel and the US: in 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Washington also opposes the investigation into the actions of US military personnel in Afghanistan. Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously accused the ICC of encroaching on the sovereignty of the US and its allies. For the ICC, this scenario will be significantly more severe than previous personal restrictions. The court has about 900 employees and depends on access to international financial and technological services. European states are discussing ways to protect the organization from US sanctions, but there is no unified mechanism of counteraction yet.