Trump imposes sanctions on ICC, says court targeting Israel, US

United States President Donald Trump has signed an executive order sanctioning the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Trump accused the court of “illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel”.

The ICC is a global court with the power to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.

Over 120 countries, including the UK, are members of the court, but the US and Israel are not.

Trump’s executive order places financial and visa restrictions on individuals and their families who assist the ICC in investigating American citizens.

The sanctions came as Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli prime minister, was visiting Washington.

In November 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, the former defence minister, over alleged war crimes in Gaza.

The court pegged the time frame of committed crimes from at least October 8, 2023, until at least May 20 — the day the prosecution filed the applications for the warrants.

The ICC also found reasonable grounds to believe that Netanyahu and Gallant acted as civilian superiors and intentionally directed attacks against a civilian population.

The court also issued a warrant for a Hamas commander.

In recent years, it has also issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin, Taliban leaders for “persecuting Afghan girls and women”, and Myanmar’s military leader.

Trump’s order accused the Hague-based ICC of creating a “shameful moral equivalency” between Hamas and Israel by issuing the warrants at the same time.

The administration said the ICC’s recent actions “set a dangerous precedent” that exposes Americans to “harassment, abuse and possible arrest”.

“This malign conduct in turn threatens to infringe upon the sovereignty of the United States and undermines the critical national security and foreign policy work of the United States government and our allies, including Israel,” the order reads.