World
Report: Trump administration drafting sanctions to muzzle the ICC
U.S. officials told the Wall Street Journal that the administration is preparing to impose broad sanctions on the International Criminal Court that will ban most transactions with it and could cut it off from the global financial system. The move, an escalation in the administration's efforts to dismantle the court that issued arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant, could mature as early as this week during the UN General Assembly. Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared in July that the administration will dismantle the institution 'brick by brick.'
· Source: Haaretz. Photo as published in the article
U.S. officials told the Wall Street Journal that the Trump administration is preparing to impose broad sanctions on the International Criminal Court that will ban most transactions with it after a grace period of six to seven months, a move that could cut the institution off from vast swathes of the global financial system after it issued arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant.
The Trump administration is preparing to impose broad sanctions on the International Criminal Court in The Hague, U.S. officials told the Wall Street Journal. According to the sources and documents obtained by the newspaper, the sanctions will ban most transactions with the court after a grace period of six to seven months, with the exception of transactions related to communications services. The move could muzzle the institution by banning transactions in dollars and cutting it off from vast swathes of the global financial system.
According to reports, the move could mature as early as this week, during the UN General Assembly meeting, or in the days thereafter. The U.S. has already imposed sanctions on some senior ICC officials, including former chief prosecutor Karim Khan and ICC President Tomoko Akane, but the administration is now preparing broader sanctions that will apply to a wide range of transactions with the court rather than just certain individuals within it.
The move marks an escalation in the administration's efforts to dismantle the court after it issued arrest warrants in 2024 against PM Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in July that the administration will dismantle the institution 'brick by brick' if necessary, and argued that the court's decision to prosecute officials from countries that are not party to it set a dangerous precedent and posed a threat to U.S. sovereignty.
European countries and other key supporters of the court have committed to defending the institution against the Trump administration's assault, but according to reports, it is unclear how they plan to do so. One step the European Union might take is to require banks in the bloc to continue working with the court.
Source: Haaretz
