Overview
- The administration has delivered its ultimatum to ICC officials and member states, warning it may sanction additional individuals and possibly the court itself.
- Washington seeks an amendment barring probes of the president and senior U.S. officials, the formal closure of the Afghanistan investigation, and the dropping of Gaza-related cases against Israeli leaders including Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant.
- The United States sanctioned nine ICC judges and prosecutors earlier this year but has not sanctioned the institution, which experts say would disrupt payroll, banking access, and routine software.
- The ICC stresses that amendments are decided by its States Parties, and fundamental shifts in jurisdiction would require even larger majorities under the court’s rules.
- A U.S. official cited fears the court could pursue cases against senior American leaders after 2029, as Congress presses for details on a lethal Caribbean strike that has prompted legal questions.