Trump administration prepares sanctions against International Criminal Court

The Trump administration is preparing to impose direct sanctions on the International Criminal Court itself, a significant escalation from its earlier strategy of targeting individual ICC officials. The move, expected to be announced around the week of September 20, 2026, would coincide with the UN General Assembly’s activities in New York. If enacted, the sanctions would prohibit US persons and companies from conducting any transactions with the ICC, effectively severing the court’s access to the US dollar financial system. From officials to the institution itself This isn’t the administration’s first swing at The Hague-based court. Executive Order 14203, issued in February 2025, laid the legal groundwork by authorizing sanctions related to the ICC’s investigations involving US nationals and military personnel from non-member states. The US has never been a member of the ICC, and the administration has treated the court’s jurisdictional reach over American personnel as an affront to sovereignty. On August 18, 2026, the US sanctioned ICC President Tomoko Akane and Senior Trial Lawyer Abdoulaye Seye for their involvement in investigations concerning non-consenting states. A wind-dow...