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The United States is reportedly preparing to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) as a whole, a move that sources say could choke off the court’s money and bring its war-crimes investigations to a halt. Because the court sits in The Hague, the Netherlands, as its host country, is bracing for the fallout and drawing up contingency plans.
What is being prepared
According to sources cited by Reuters, the sanctions could be finalised as early as this week, during the UN General Assembly. US officials have not clearly stated what the measures will contain, but they are said to resemble earlier American penalties against individual ICC officials, who were barred from entering the US, had assets frozen and lost access to services such as Microsoft email overnight.
The Trump administration has previously sanctioned the court’s judges and prosecutors, more than a dozen officials, including half of its sitting judges, but never the institution itself. Sanctioning the entire court would be an unprecedented step against a permanent international tribunal, and would generally bar American companies from providing it with funds or services.
Why it could be so damaging
Some of the practical effects could be severe. Certain services can be swapped out; the court has already moved from Microsoft to a German software provider in anticipation. But money is harder. Many cross-border payments run through the American firms Visa and Mastercard, and major European banks also operate in the US and so must follow its rules, which could disrupt the court’s ability to pay staff and protected witnesses.
Geert-Jan Knoops, a defence lawyer who works at the ICC, warned of the human consequences. If the court can no longer pay people, “we as lawyers no longer get paid,” he told RTL, adding that ongoing investigations could be put in danger and criminal cases might no longer be able to proceed, cases that include alleged war crimes in Ukraine and Gaza.
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Why Washington is acting
The US does not recognise the ICC, has never joined it, and does not extradite Americans to The Hague. Its conflict with the court centres on two issues: the arrest warrants the ICC issued in 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant over the war in Gaza (warrants Israel strongly rejects), and an earlier ICC inquiry into the conduct of US forces in Afghanistan. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has described the court as a threat to US sovereignty and its allies, and Washington has asked member states to withdraw their support. The ICC, which has 125 member states, has said it stands by its staff and will continue its work.
The Dutch position
The Netherlands has a longstanding role and reputation as host to the world’s international legal institutions. Dutch officials have been told the sanctions are imminent and, according to diplomatic sources, are examining ways to help the court keep functioning, including maintaining payments to staff and witnesses and security at its detention centre. The Dutch foreign minister, David van Weel, has said the Netherlands supports the court and its staff, and that international courts must be able to carry out their mandates freely.