State Department Announces a “Whole-of-Government” Campaign to Disable the ICC

The State Department announced on July 13, 2026 what it called a campaign involving "a whole-of-government response to systematically disable" the International Criminal Court's ability to operate. The announcement came with a video statement by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and a Wall Street Journal op-ed. Rubio said the court is "waging a war against our country, not with bullets or missiles, but with statutes, compacts, and the force of so-called international law." The release listed actions "under consideration" rather than final steps: appeals to partner nations to reject the court's authority over Americans, increased scrutiny of countries that rely on U.S. assistance but decline to do so, additional sanctions, and travel bans on ICC personnel and affiliated organizations. Several ICC officials, including its chief prosecutor, are already under U.S. sanctions.

The United States is not a party to the Rome Statute, and successive administrations have rejected the court's jurisdiction over Americans. Moving from that legal position to an explicit campaign to disable a functioning international tribunal is a change in kind, and the threat of consequences for allies that cooperate with it extends the pressure to third countries.

Specific measures and timing were not announced. Legal scholars quoted in coverage noted the court has taken no action involving the United States or its allies since January 2025, leaving the trigger for the campaign unclear.