U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday launched a sweeping campaign to isolate the International Criminal Court, accusing the tribunal of waging "a war against our country" in a video message posted on X.
The State Department said Washington intends to systematically disable the court's ability to target American soldiers and officials or otherwise threaten U.S. sovereignty. Rubio warned the ICC it would learn "the full meaning of American resolve" and outlined measures under consideration, including visa revocations, expanded sanctions, and diplomatic pressure on allied nations to withdraw from the court or reject its jurisdictional claims over Americans.
The offensive escalates a confrontation that intensified after the Trump administration sanctioned ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan and multiple judges for issuing arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. Three sanctioned judges announced a lawsuit in late June against the restrictive measures, which include U.S. travel bans.