Trump administration prepares sweeping sanctions against ICC

The administration of US President Donald Trump is preparing to impose sweeping sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), in a new escalation of its confrontation with the court over its investigations and arrest warrants against Israeli officials.

According to a report published by The Wall Street Journal on Sunday, the planned measures would go beyond sanctions imposed so far on ICC officials and judges to target the institution itself and most transactions involving it.

The newspaper reported that the sanctions would prohibit most transactions with the ICC, but the restrictions would take effect after a six- to seven-month wind-down period, giving organisations dealing with the court time to decide before the measures come into force.

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Targeting the court itself, if implemented as reported, would significantly expand the scope of US pressure compared with previous measures, which focused on individual officials.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the sweeping sanctions could restrict the ICC’s access to the US dollar and the financial system, making it more difficult for institutions and companies to deal with the court for fear of being exposed to US sanctions.

The US administration has not officially announced the final details of the new measures or when they will be issued.

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