Key Takeaways
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused the International Criminal Court (ICC) of waging a war against America.
- The Trump administration is considering various options to target the ICC, including sanctions and diplomatic pressure.
- Rubio’s remarks come after the ICC issued an arrest warrant for US ally Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has accused the International Criminal Court (ICC) of threatening American sovereignty by waging a war against the country. In a statement, Rubio said, 'The ICC and its friends are waging a war against our country — not with bullets or missiles but with statutes, compacts and the force of so-called “international law”.'
Rubio’s comments follow an effort by the Trump administration to dismantle what it sees as the ICC's threat to US sovereignty. The administration has long argued that the ICC should not have the authority to investigate and prosecute Americans, particularly members of the military.
According to a State Department official, the Trump administration is considering various options to target the ICC, including travel bans, visa revocations, increased sanctions against the ICC and affiliated organizations, and diplomatic pressure on other nations to withdraw from the ICC. These measures are part of a broader campaign to diplomatically isolate the International Criminal Court and ensure it cannot target Americans.
The ICC was established in 2002 by the international community to prosecute war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity. It asserts jurisdiction only if a member state is unable or unwilling to prosecute atrocities itself. The US has never been a member of the court.
Rubio’s remarks come after the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel in March 2020. In response, three International Criminal Court judges sued Trump and his administration over sanctions imposed on them last year, arguing that the measures were unlawful.
The State Department official stated that nations that partner with US law enforcement, host a US military presence, or benefit from the broader US security umbrella are key targets for this campaign. The official added that the ICC has deprioritised its role in investigating possible crimes by US troops since 2021 and focused on alleged crimes committed by the Afghan government and Taliban forces.
President Donald Trump and other US officials, including former President George W. Bush, have long expressed hostility toward the ICC. This manifested again with a plan to punish ICC officials, an idea hatched in November 2024 when Trump was re-elected.
The latest developments highlight the ongoing tension between the United States and the International Criminal Court over issues of sovereignty and jurisdiction.
'The ICC and its friends are waging a war against our country — not with bullets or missiles but with statutes, compacts and the force of so-called “international law”.'
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio
