WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has imposed sweeping new sanctions on the International Criminal Court as part of its campaign to dismantle the tribunal that the U.S. believes has become politicized and attempted to unfairly and illegally prosecute Americans and Israelis on war crimes charges.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the sanctions Friday, after the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to South African prosecutor Navi Pillay, a former judge at the ICC and other international courts. Trump has coveted that prize for himself. The move, however, long predated the Nobel Prize announcement.
“We will ban transactions with this rogue court, cutting off their resources and crippling its ability to operate against us,” Rubio said in a video address posted to social media. “The United States and the American people are not subject to the jurisdiction of this fake ICC.”
The sanctions block any assets the ICC as an institution might have in U.S. jurisdictions and set a six-month timeline for U.S. companies and individuals that have business with the court to wind that business down.
Rubio said both Republicans and Democrats have deep reservations about the court, which was established to prosecute war crimes and crimes against humanity that might not otherwise be handled by the parties involved. But he said that only President Donald Trump was willing to move against the court.
“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 said. “Either the ICC will end its threats, or we will end the ICC.”
The ICC denounced the step as an attack on the rule of law and the foundations of international order, themes that Rubio had appeared to embrace only two days ago in a speech in front of the Acropolis in Athens.
“It is an attempt to obstruct the course of justice and to prevent the court from doing what it was created to do,” the court said in a statement. “It is an assault on the rule of law and on the very foundations of the international legal order which strikes at the simple principle that no one stands above the law.”
ICC President Tomoko Akane, a citizen of U.S. ally Japan, said the court would “continue to fully discharge its mandate, with independence and impartiality, acting only on the basis of the law and the evidence, for the sake of the countless victims of grave crimes.”
She also appealed to other ICC members for support. “This is not just about defending a single institution, but about safeguarding the international order grounded upon the rule of law.”
Rubio added that the U.S. expects its allies to join in the actions against the ICC. Those include many NATO members in Europe and Japan.
“If they do not, the United States will continue its campaign to dismantle the ICC, piece by piece, until Americans are threatened no longer,” he said.
Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen, posting on X, called the sanctions announcement “a deeply regrettable step. We stand firm in defence of the court.”
He said the six-month window before the sanctions take effect “creates scope for dialogue.”
As host state of the court, the Netherlands is a strong defender of the ICC.
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Associated Press writers Mike Corder and Molly Quell in The Hague, Netherlands, contributed.
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49 Comments
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I like the balance sheet here—less leverage than peers.
Good point. Watching costs and grades closely.
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The cost guidance is better than expected. If they deliver, the stock could rerate.
Good point. Watching costs and grades closely.
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Good point. Watching costs and grades closely.
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Nice to see insider buying—usually a good signal in this space.
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Good point. Watching costs and grades closely.
Good point. Watching costs and grades closely.
I like the balance sheet here—less leverage than peers.
Exploration results look promising, but permitting will be the key risk.
I like the balance sheet here—less leverage than peers.
If AISC keeps dropping, this becomes investable for me.
Good point. Watching costs and grades closely.
Silver leverage is strong here; beta cuts both ways though.
Good point. Watching costs and grades closely.
Good point. Watching costs and grades closely.
Production mix shifting toward USA might help margins if metals stay firm.
Good point. Watching costs and grades closely.
Good point. Watching costs and grades closely.
Exploration results look promising, but permitting will be the key risk.
Exploration results look promising, but permitting will be the key risk.
Good point. Watching costs and grades closely.