Trump administration sanctions International Criminal Court

The United States has announced sweeping sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC), escalating Trump’s war on the international tribunal.

“We will ban transactions with this rogue court, cutting off their resources and crippling its ability to operate,” US secretary of state Marco Rubio said in an announcement.

The Trump administration has previously pledged to dismantle the court “brick by brick” and has sanctioned 13 current and former staff members, but this is the first time it has levied sanctions against the institution itself.

Ahead of the announcement, prime minister Rob Jetten said the Netherlands will protect the ICC “stone by stone”.

Foreign minister Tom Berendsen said the country would stand behind the court. “The announced sanctions against the International Criminal Court are an undesirable new escalation,” Berendsen said in a statement. “I deeply regret this new step.”

The sanctions will cut the court off from any US company or organisation, including providers of financial and technology services.

The announcement came hours after South African jurist Navi Pillay, who has served as a judge at both the ICC and the International Court of Justice in The Hague, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Trump has long coveted the prize, telling reporters earlier this week that he deserved the award for what he said was ending eight wars.