State Department Designates the International Criminal Court Itself Under E.O. 14203; OFAC Adds It to the SDN List and Issues General Licenses

Announcement date: October 9, 2026. OFAC’s recent-actions page carries the same release date, 10/09/2026. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s statement says “the United States is sanctioning the International Criminal Court.” The release says the ICC is designated under section 1(a)(ii)(A) of Executive Order (E.O.) 14203. OFAC’s page shows the entity added to the SDN List under the tag [ICC-EO14203] and announces ICC-related General License 13 and further ICC-related general licenses covering telecommunications and enterprise software, pension payments and certain ICC detainees. Earlier rounds in this campaign named individual officials; see 2025-08-20–us-sanctions-icc-judges. The Associated Press framed this as sanctions on the court as an institution.

What the release asks of allies. “We expect our allies, many of whom are part of the ICC and that rely on American servicemembers for their defense, to rein in the court.” It adds that if they do not, the United States will continue its campaign to dismantle the ICC, brick by brick. It also says: “We have structured this action to provide an opportunity for States Parties to negotiate and present a solution to address our concerns.” The Associated Press describes a six-month timeline for U.S. persons to wind down business with the court. That period is AP’s description; the State release does not state one.

Responses. The ICC called the step “an assault on the rule of law and on the very foundations of the international legal order” (as quoted by AP). Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen called it “a deeply regrettable step.”

Related: the reported July 2026 demand on NATO allies to withdraw from the Rome Statute, published by Politico: 2026-09-09–politico-us-asks-nato-allies-withdraw-rome-statute-whitaker. The sources read here do not support a claim that the United States threatened to leave NATO; that framing is not carried.