The Trump administration has reportedly demanded that the International Criminal Court (ICC) amend its founding document to ensure it does not investigate President Donald Trump or his top officials, according to an anonymous U.S. official. The administration has warned that failure to comply could trigger new sanctions against the court.
In addition to this demand, the United States has also reportedly pressed the ICC to drop investigations of Israeli leaders over the Gaza conflict and to formally close a previous probe into alleged actions by U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Officials said that if the ICC does not act on these requests, Washington may impose further sanctions on court officials and potentially target the institution itself.
Imposing sanctions would represent a major escalation in the longstanding tension between the United States and the ICC. Both Republican and Democratic leaders have previously criticized the court, arguing that it infringes on U.S. sovereignty.
The official noted that Washington has communicated these demands not only to the ICC but also to its member states, including several U.S. allies, although the United States itself is not a signatory to the Rome Statute, which established the ICC in 2002 as a court of last resort with the authority to prosecute heads of state.
This demand and the accompanying threat of renewed sanctions against the ICC have not been previously reported, highlighting a new phase in the U.S. campaign to limit the court’s authority over American officials and allied leaders.
