US adds International Criminal Court to sanctions list

The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court. The US Treasury has also temporarily authorized some transactions needed to maintain or wind down the court's operations.

OFAC added the International Criminal Court, based in The Hague, to its list of blocked persons and entities on October 9. Washington previously restricted individual court officials, but the new designation targets the institution itself.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio linked the decision to efforts to protect Americans from prosecution by the court. The United States opposes investigations involving American officials and allies, including Israel. Earlier sanctions against court officials were introduced in 2025, and the pressure continued in 2026.

The restrictions come with exceptions. General License 13 permits transactions needed to maintain or wind down operations, contracts and other agreements involving the court until 12:01 a.m. US eastern daylight time on April 7, 2027.

Authorized transactions include payments by states that are parties to the Rome Statute, employee payments, medical services, rent and routine commercial services. OFAC also issued separate licenses covering telecommunications and software, pension payments, and transactions involving certain court detainees.

The International Criminal Court operates under the Rome Statute and hears cases involving genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and aggression. Reuters reported that the court rejected the US sanctions and appealed to member states to support its work.