Particle.news
Download on the App Store
19 ARTICLES
·
2h ago

U.S. Launches Diplomatic Campaign to Disable the International Criminal Court

The State Department says the move is a stepped‑up effort to protect American officials and servicemembers from ICC jurisdiction.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks with members of the media before departing from Bahrain International Airport in Manama, Bahrain, on June 25, 2026.
An exterior of The International Criminal Court (ICC) is seen as the United States is considering imposing sanctions as soon as this week against the entire International Criminal Court, in The Hague, Netherlands, September 22, 2025. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw/File Photo
Image
Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to members of the media in Kuwait City during his visit to the Middle East to discuss the interim deal between the U.S. and Iran with Arab Gulf allies, on June 24, 2026.

Overview

  • On Monday, July 13, Secretary of State Marco Rubio unveiled a “whole‑of‑government” campaign that seeks to diplomatically isolate and “systematically disable” the ICC’s ability to operate.
  • The administration is weighing measures that include visa revocations, travel bans, expanded sanctions and diplomatic pressure on U.S. partners to withdraw from or cut support for the Hague court.
  • The announcement follows earlier U.S. actions such as 2025 sanctions on ICC officials and a recent lawsuit by three ICC judges who say U.S. measures against them are unlawful.
  • The United Nations and rights groups publicly defended the court, saying the ICC is a core part of international justice and warning that U.S. pressure could undermine multilateral institutions.
  • The dispute rests on long‑running U.S. refusal to join the Rome Statute and recent ICC probes of conflicts including Afghanistan and Gaza, and it could strain ties with allies that back the court or risk cuts in U.S. assistance to those that do not comply.