The Trump administration on Monday launched a government-wide campaign against the International Criminal Court (ICC), vowing to pressure countries to withdraw from the tribunal and accusing it of threatening U.S. sovereignty.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the administration would work to curb the ICC's ability to investigate or prosecute Americans, calling the court "an intolerable threat to US sovereignty."

"The ICC and its friends are waging a war against our country, not with bullets or missiles, but with statutes, compacts and the force of so-called international law," Rubio said in a video statement.

The State Department said the campaign will "systematically disable the ICC's ability to operate, target American servicemen or officials, or otherwise threaten American sovereignty."

A State Department official said the United States will also urge other countries to withdraw from the Hague-based court and cut off financial support.

The move marks a sharp escalation in Washington's long-standing opposition to the ICC, which the United States has never joined. The U.S. argues the court has no jurisdiction over American citizens or officials.

The administration imposed sanctions on several ICC officials in February 2025 after the court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the war in Gaza. The new campaign could include additional travel bans and financial sanctions targeting individuals associated with the court.

The State Department official said countries that continue supporting the ICC while receiving U.S. assistance "are likely to come under increased scrutiny."

Established in 2002, the ICC prosecutes individuals accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. The United States, Israel and Russia are not parties to the court's founding treaty.