The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday condemned sweeping U.S. sanctions targeting the tribunal, calling them an attack on the foundations of international law and warning that history would judge efforts to undermine its independence.
The measures represent "an assault on the rule of law and on the very foundations of the international legal order," the court said in a statement, stressing that no individual should be above the law.
The Trump administration announced sanctions against the ICC on Friday, hours after a former judge at the tribunal was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, setting the stage for renewed diplomatic tensions between Washington and its European allies.
Unlike previous restrictions targeting individual judges and prosecutors, the latest measures could penalize companies and financial institutions providing services to the court, potentially disrupting its operations.
"President Trump will never allow the International Criminal Court to prosecute Americans," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement first reported by Reuters.
"That is why, today, the United States is sanctioning the International Criminal Court. We will ban transactions with this rogue court, cutting off their resources and crippling its ability to operate," he added.
ICC Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan denounced the decision, saying the restrictions were designed to weaken international justice but would not prevent the tribunal from carrying out its mandate.
"The sanctions are intended to undermine the rule of law internationally and the work that an independent judicial institution is doing," Khan told Reuters.
"Our work will continue across all our situations, our investigations and our prosecutions," she added.
Washington has repeatedly criticized the ICC over arrest warrants issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during Israel's genocidal military offensive in Gaza.
Established in 2002 to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, the Hague-based tribunal has 125 member states, including all European Union countries and every NATO member except the United States and Türkiye.
The court has historically received strong support from European governments, many of which are close U.S. allies.
Nobel recognition highlights pressure on international justice
The sanctions announcement came shortly after South African jurist Navi Pillay, who served on the ICC's Appeals Chamber from 2003 to 2008, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
The Nobel committee said the decision was intended to draw attention to growing political pressure on international judicial institutions.
In its citation, the committee said the award sought to "issue a reminder" at a time when judges and international legal bodies were facing political attacks.
"An international legal system in which war criminals are held to account and the victims of abuse see justice served is a precondition for a peaceful world," the committee said.
The timing of the award and Washington's announcement underscored tensions over the authority and independence of international courts.
US grants limited exemptions as ICC prepares for disruption
Despite the broad restrictions, the U.S. Treasury Department issued four general licenses shortly after the announcement, allowing certain transactions involving telecommunications, software, pension payments and ICC detainees to continue.
U.S. sanctions generally prohibit American companies from conducting business with designated organizations, potentially forcing banks to close accounts, insurers to withdraw coverage and technology providers to suspend services.
The Trump administration previously sanctioned individual ICC officials during the president's first term. Those restrictions were lifted under former President Joe Biden.
Washington imposed additional sanctions shortly after Trump returned to the White House in January 2025.
Anticipating broader measures, ICC officials have spent months preparing contingency arrangements, including replacing Microsoft software with open-source alternatives and securing new banking and health insurance services.
Earlier this week, ICC Registrar Osvaldo Zavala Giler urged the European Union to consider activating its blocking mechanism, a legal instrument intended to protect European entities from the extraterritorial effects of foreign sanctions.
Rubio said Washington had postponed the latest measures to allow ICC member states to address U.S. objections, but those efforts had failed to produce an acceptable outcome.
"Either the ICC will end its threats, or we will end the ICC," Rubio said, urging U.S. allies that belong to the tribunal to intervene.
He added that Washington expected countries relying on American military support to help restrain the court's activities.
The secretary of state said the sanctions were structured to leave room for negotiations with countries party to the Rome Statute, the treaty establishing the ICC.
"We have structured this action to provide an opportunity for States Parties to negotiate and present a solution to address our concerns. If these efforts do not bear fruit, we will continue to adjust accordingly," Rubio said.
The court, however, maintained that its investigations and prosecutions would continue despite the restrictions, reaffirming its commitment to pursuing accountability for serious international crimes.