US Treasury imposes sanctions on international criminal court prosecutor

United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday, escalating tensions between Washington and the court.

The US Department of the Treasury confirmed the move, adding ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan to its Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List. The sanctions freeze Khan's assets in the US and bar him from entering the country.

This decision comes after a Republican-led attempt to sanction the ICC was blocked by US Senate Democrats, following the court’s issuance of arrest warrants for "Israeli" officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, over war crimes committed during operations in Gaza.

The executive order signed by Trump states that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the US or "Israel", as neither country is a member of the Rome Statute, which governs the court. The order asserts that both countries are thriving democracies with militaries that strictly adhere to the laws of war and will not tolerate actions against them by the ICC.

"The US will impose significant consequences on those responsible for the ICC’s transgressions, including the blocking of property and assets, and suspending entry into the US of ICC officials and their families," the order reads.

The move has sparked international backlash, with 79 countries, including members of the ICC, condemning the sanctions.

They warned that such actions could "increase the risk of impunity for the most serious crimes and threaten to erode the international rule of law." The countries, representing about two-thirds of the ICC’s membership, also stated that the sanctions could severely undermine ongoing investigations and potentially lead to the closure of the court’s field offices.

This escalation follows Trump’s earlier declaration of a national emergency, claiming the ICC poses an "extraordinary threat" to US interests and allies.

Trump accused the court of engaging in "unlawful acts" after issuing arrest warrants for "Israeli" officials. The US has urged its allies not to recognize the ICC’s decisions and warned of additional sanctions on any official involved in what it considers the court’s "overreach."