U.S. Poised to Escalate Sanctions on International Criminal Court

The United States is contemplating a significant escalation by imposing entity-wide sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), in response to ongoing investigations into alleged Israeli war crimes. Such an unprecedented move would jeopardize the court's basic operations, from payroll to access to essential software, sources reveal.

Washington has previously targeted individual prosecutors and judges of the ICC, but the anticipated entity sanctions reflect heightened diplomatic tensions. The U.S. government contends that the ICC is overstepping its jurisdiction by including U.S. and Israeli citizens in its war crimes inquiries. Although formal announcements are pending, internal meetings have already addressed these potential sanctions.

This week, during the U.N. General Assembly in New York, ICC member states are expected to resist further U.S. sanctions. However, diplomatic insiders indicate that Washington is prepared to intensify its confrontation with the court. The ICC indictments include high-profile figures such as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, underscoring the grave stakes in this geopolitical conflict.

(With inputs from agencies.)