Eight US allies say they strongly disagree with US sanctions on the ICC

The foreign ministers of Canada, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom said on 9 October 2026 that they “regret and strongly disagree” with sanctions announced by the United States against the International Criminal Court (ICC). The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office published the joint statement. On the same day, the US Department of State said it was sanctioning the court itself.

All eight governments are States Parties to the Rome Statute, the treaty that founded the court. They reaffirmed what they called their “continued and unwavering support for the independence, impartiality, and integrity of the ICC”. They warned that “if put into effect, these sanctions will have a significant impact on the Court’s work, its dedicated staff and their families.”

What Washington announced

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement dated 9 October 2026 that the United States would “ban transactions with this rogue court, cutting off their resources and crippling its ability to operate.” He wrote: “Either the ICC will end its threats, or we will end the ICC.” If allies did not rein in the court, he added, the United States would continue its campaign to dismantle it “brick by brick”. A State Department fact sheet said the court was designated under section 1(a)(ii)(A) of Executive Order 14203.

Rubio said Washington had put off the designation “out of respect for our relationships” and in the hope that the court would change course. He said that neither the ICC nor its member states had taken “meaningful steps” to address US concerns.

According to CBS News, the designation blocks the court’s assets under US jurisdiction and generally bars US companies and individuals from doing business with it. The State Department fact sheet says the Treasury Department is issuing general licences. These include a 180-day licence covering the maintenance of the court’s operations and licences for IT services, the court’s pension plan and its detainees. Kai Times could not open the Treasury documents themselves.

Human Rights Watch said the United States had already sanctioned ICC judges and prosecutors, three Palestinian human rights groups and Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Al Jazeera reported that the US administration has pointed to two things as justification: the court’s investigation in Afghanistan, which could involve US personnel, and its arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant. Neither the United States nor Israel is a party to the Rome Statute.

Reactions

CBS News reported that the ICC called the designation “an assault on the rule of law”. It quoted the court’s president, Tomoko Akane: “The Court will continue to fully discharge its mandate, with independence and impartiality.” Kai Times was unable to open the court’s own press release. Al Jazeera reported that Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan told Reuters: “Our work will continue across all our situations, our investigations and our prosecutions.”

Philippe Bolopion, executive director of Human Rights Watch, urged governments to protect the court, “starting with the European Union using its laws to mitigate the sanctions’ impact in the region.” Al Jazeera reported that Netanyahu welcomed the US step in a social media post, writing “Thank you for your leadership”.

What comes next

The eight ministers said they noted “with appreciation” the court’s preparations for such measures. They committed to “constructive and inclusive dialogue with non-States Parties” ahead of the Assembly of States Parties in December 2026.

According to CBS News, Rubio said the action was structured “to provide an opportunity for States Parties to negotiate and present a solution to address our concerns”. The joint statement did not say what practical steps the eight governments would take. CBS News reported that the court has 125 member states. It could not be established whether others will issue similar statements.

Note on verification: the State Department’s statement and fact sheet could not be opened directly on its website. Kai Times checked their wording against search excerpts and published copies of the full text. The ICC’s reactions and the statements by Nazhat Shameem Khan and Benjamin Netanyahu are taken from CBS News and Al Jazeera. Kai Times could not verify them with a primary source.