The Trump administration is launching a new diplomatic campaign aimed at isolating the International Criminal Court (ICC), arguing that the court poses a threat to U.S. sovereignty and has no authority to prosecute American citizens or service members.

According to a senior State Department official, the administration is considering a wide range of measures against the court, including travel bans, visa revocations, expanded sanctions targeting ICC officials and affiliated organizations, and a coordinated effort to persuade other countries to withdraw from or reject the court’s authority.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other senior U.S. officials are leading the effort, urging countries that partner with the United States, host American military personnel, or rely on U.S. security assistance to diplomatically isolate the ICC. The official warned that nations benefiting from U.S. assistance while refusing to reject the court’s claimed authority over Americans could face increased scrutiny.

The ICC, established in 2002 to prosecute war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity, claims jurisdiction only when national authorities are unable or unwilling to prosecute such crimes. The United States has never been a member of the court.

President Trump’s opposition to the ICC dates back to his first term and intensified after the court indicted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in November 2024. Last month, three ICC judges sued the Trump administration, arguing that sanctions imposed on them last year were unlawful.

The administration maintains that the ICC should not have jurisdiction over U.S. officials or service members and says it will continue pressing allies to reject the court’s authority.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)