Trump Administration Announces Plan to ‘Dismantle’ the ICC

The US state department has launched a plan to “disable” and “dismantle” the International Criminal Court (ICC), which includes pressuring other countries to join in and threatening to cut US assistance for those that don’t.

President Donald Trump’s administration has opposed the ICC’s attempts to investigate Israeli war crimes in Gaza and US war crimes in Afghanistan, despite welcoming its investigation into Russian war crimes in Ukraine. 

US secretary of state Marco Rubio announced a “whole-of-government campaign” against the court on Monday, accusing it of “waging a war against our country, not with bullets or missiles,” but with “the force of so-called international law”.

In a video message posted to X, Rubio said: “If they believe they can deprive us of our sovereignty, we will teach them the full meaning of American resolve.”

The ICC can only investigate crimes committed in states that are party to the Rome statute – which includes Palestine. The US and Israel are among 29 states that are not. 

A state department official told CNN: “Nations that refuse to reject the ICC’s false authority while relying on US assistance are likely to come under increased scrutiny.” Possible punishments for countries that don’t comply could include sanctions, travel bans and revoked visas.

The ICC has not opened any investigations on US soil and Rubio’s announcement was slammed as an attempt to “dress up” a “quest for impunity for American war crimes” by former executive director of Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth.

Roth added: “Trump wants to be able to commit war crimes on the territory of countries that have accepted the court’s jurisdiction – that’s what this is about.”

The ICC issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant, alleging “criminal responsibility” over war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Israel in Gaza. 

In response, Trump issued an executive order imposing a raft of sanctions on the ICC and its officials, including top prosecutor Karim Khan, in February 2025. The order accused the court of “illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel”. 

In 2025, US sanctions were also applied to UN special rapporteur for Palestine Francesca Albanese and three Palestinian rights groups collecting evidence of Israeli war crimes.