The US State Department on Monday launched a campaign to “systematically disable” the International Criminal Court, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowing to dismantle the Hague-based tribunal “brick by brick if necessary.” The measures include revoking visas for ICC personnel, expanding financial sanctions against the court and affiliated organizations, and a diplomatic push to persuade member states to withdraw from the Rome Statute. A State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said no diplomatic option would be ruled out and that nations receiving US security assistance would face “increased scrutiny” if they refused to reject the court’s jurisdiction.

Washington’s offensive rests on the assertion that the ICC poses an “intolerable threat to US sovereignty” by claiming authority to prosecute American service members and officials. Rubio, in a video statement and a Wall Street Journal opinion piece, described the court as a supranational enforcement arm of a “globalist bureaucracy” backed by “left-wing NGOs” and “hostile Third World governments.” The State Department noted that the ICC had previously opened an investigation into US military and intelligence personnel in Afghanistan and had refused to close those cases. Although the United States never ratified the Rome Statute, the court can exercise jurisdiction over crimes committed on the territory of a member state, a principle that Washington argues exposes its citizens to what it terms legally unfounded prosecutions.

The campaign marks an escalation in a long-running confrontation. The Trump administration had already imposed asset freezes and travel bans on ICC officials, including the prosecutor and several judges, after the court issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza. Three sanctioned judges filed a lawsuit in New York in June, arguing the measures were unlawful and intended to exert extrajudicial pressure. The ICC itself declined to comment on the new campaign, while in Tokyo, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Japan was watching with concern, reiterating its consistent support for the court.

The diplomatic offensive is designed to starve the ICC of political and financial backing. US officials are calling on governments that host American military forces or benefit from US security guarantees to publicly reject the court’s authority. The State Department is also urging non-party states to use their own diplomatic networks to join the effort. Several countries—Hungary, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—have already announced their withdrawal from the ICC, denouncing it as a political tool. Human rights group DAWN, which Rubio singled out in his article, rejected his characterisation and announced it would take legal action against the administration this week.

The campaign confronts key US allies with a choice between their commitment to the international rules-based order and their security relationships with Washington. The ICC, which relies on state cooperation to carry out investigations and enforce arrest warrants, could see its operational capacity significantly curtailed if more member states withdraw or reduce support. The State Department has indicated that the diplomatic push is already underway, with calls from Rubio, the deputy secretary, and ambassadors to foreign governments. Further sanctions and visa restrictions are expected in the coming weeks, while the judges’ lawsuit proceeds in US federal court.