US to impose sanctions against ICC

The administration of US President Donald Trump is preparing to impose sweeping economic sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC). The sanctions, which would ban most financial and commercial transactions with the court, are expected to be finalized this week during the UN General Assembly session.

This information was reported in a report by the American media outlet The Wall Street Journal. 

According to the report, once the new sanctions come into effect, most financial and commercial transactions with the international court will be banned after a period of six to seven months.

The planned ban would mark a major shift in the Trump administration's punitive approach, from targeting specific court officials and staff to imposing sweeping restrictions on the entire institution.

Sources cited in the report said Washington could finalize these executive actions this week or soon after during the UN General Assembly session.

The US has already imposed sanctions on several officials, including the court's president, Tomoko Akane. The sanctions were imposed under an executive order issued in February 2025. That order declared a national emergency over the ICC's judicial work.

Incidentally, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in 2024 on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The warrants were issued after an investigation into alleged crimes committed in Gaza. Since then, the US has been taking a series of actions against the court.

The Wall Street Journal reported that a US State Department spokesperson declined to comment in advance on possible new sanctions.