Trump sanctions ICC, vows to cripple court over prosecution of Americans

US President Donald Trump’s administration has imposed sweeping sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), hours after former judge Navi Pillay won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.

According to The Independent, the sanctions announced Friday could restrict financial transactions and services provided to the court.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the decision, declaring:

“President Trump will never allow the International Criminal Court to prosecute Americans.”

Rubio said the measures would cut off resources to the court, which has issued arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

ICC Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan condemned the sanctions, insisting they would not halt investigations or prosecutions.

The court, established in 2002, prosecutes genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Pillay, a South African jurist, received the Nobel Prize for advancing international law and justice.

The sanctions could also affect companies providing financial and technological services to the tribunal, raising concerns among European allies.