The Trump administration imposed broad sanctions on the International Criminal Court in Washington, targeting the tribunal itself to restrict its resources and prevent actions involving Americans.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the measures in a video and statement, saying the United States would bar transactions with the ICC.
The action blocks ICC assets in US jurisdictions and gives US companies and individuals six months to wind down business with the court, according to reports.
The Treasury Department issued four general licenses covering certain transactions involving telecommunications, software, pension payments, and ICC detainees, according to Reuters.
The restrictions could affect US-based banks, insurers, and software providers connected to the court.
Rubio said the administration delayed the broader sanctions to allow the ICC and its member states time to address US concerns.
He said the United States expects allied ICC member states to address the court's actions.
The administration previously sanctioned ICC prosecutors and judges, but the latest measures target the institution itself.
The sanctions follow US objections to the ICC's investigation into alleged conduct by US personnel in Afghanistan, which the court has since closed, and its arrest warrants for Israeli officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The ICC was established in 2002 to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.
According to the source, the court has 125 member states, while the United States, Russia, China, India, and Israel are not members.
ICC Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan condemned the sanctions, telling Reuters they would not stop the court's investigations or prosecutions.
The court said the measures were intended to disrupt its work and intimidate those who cooperate with it.
The announcement came hours after former ICC Appeals Chamber Judge Navi Pillay received the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, although reports said the sanctions effort was developed before the award announcement.
