The Trump’s restrictions include excluding the agency from the dollar system and limiting its operations. Photo: EFE.

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is preparing a series of financial sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC) that could severely impact the court’s operational capacity.

According to U.S. officials, the measures will prohibit most international financial transactions involving the International Criminal Court (ICC), based in The Hague.

This move is part of a broader strategy to pressure the court into halting its investigations into U.S. military actions in Afghanistan and revoking the arrest warrant issued against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which Washington deems illegitimate.

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The proposed sanctions, set to take effect after a transition period of six to seven months, will effectively cut off the ICC from the global banking system and dollar-based transactions. The only exception will be payments related to essential telecommunications services. This latest round of sanctions builds on previous restrictions imposed on February 6, 2025, which included the freezing of assets and revocation of visas for ICC officials.

The announcement is expected to coincide with the High-Level Week of the UN General Assembly in New York, adding diplomatic tension to an already fraught international environment.

The Trump administration is preparing sweeping sanctions against the International Criminal Court that could restrict financial transactions and disrupt its daily operations.

The move would escalate Washington’s pressure on the ICC over its investigations involving US and… pic.twitter.com/dKwFCw1c8v

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) September 21, 2026

The ICC’s crisis of representativeness deepens as countries like Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Chad have withdrawn from the Rome Statute. Additionally, global powers such as Russia and China, which have historically opposed the ICC, do not recognize its jurisdiction.

Diplomatic voices, including Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, have criticized the ICC for alleged ideological bias. The impending U.S. sanctions threaten to paralyze the court’s ongoing judicial processes across various continents, further complicating its mission to deliver justice for international crimes.

The ICC’s ability to function effectively hangs in the balance as it faces these new financial restrictions. The court’s operations, already strained by political pressures and funding challenges, could be severely hampered by the loss of access to global financial systems. This development underscores the broader geopolitical tensions surrounding the ICC and its role in international justice.

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