WASHINGTON, D.C.: The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is preparing sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC) as Washington moves to increase pressure on the tribunal over its investigations and arrest warrants involving Israeli and American officials.

Two people familiar with the matter said over the weekend that sanctions targeting the court as an organization had been prepared and could be announced soon. The move would represent a significant expansion of the U.S. campaign against the ICC, which prosecutes cases involving war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity.

The exact timing of the announcement was not clear. The Wall Street Journal reported that the decision could be completed as early as this week, when world leaders are gathering in New York for the United Nations General Assembly.

The Trump administration has repeatedly criticized the ICC and taken steps to limit its operations. U.S. officials have called for the court to withdraw arrest warrants against Israeli leaders and abandon an earlier investigation into alleged crimes involving U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a broader campaign against the ICC in July. He urged other countries to distance themselves from the tribunal and said Washington would work to isolate the court internationally.

The United States has already imposed sanctions on several ICC judges and prosecutors. However, Washington has so far stopped short of placing sanctions directly on the court as a whole, although it has considered such action for some time.

The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

If the U.S. imposes organization-wide sanctions, the impact on the ICC could be much wider than the measures already imposed on individual officials. Sanctions could also target organizations and companies that work with or provide services to the court.

U.S. Treasury sanctions could prevent American citizens and companies from providing money, goods, or services to the ICC unless they obtain a special license from the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control.

Such restrictions could also affect international businesses. Banks and other companies often take extra steps to avoid violating U.S. sanctions because they rely heavily on access to the American financial system.

ICC officials have warned that sanctions against the entire organization could interfere with basic operations. These could include purchasing information technology services and insurance, hiring investigators, and conducting routine financial transactions.

The court could also struggle to pay its American employees and manage other financial activities that depend on access to the international banking system.

Trump's opposition to the ICC dates back to his first term as president. The issue became prominent again after his return to office, particularly following the ICC's decision in November 2024 to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the Gaza conflict.

The Trump administration subsequently developed plans to punish ICC officials and has continued to challenge the court's authority.

The ICC was established in 2002 through an international agreement to prosecute individuals accused of serious international crimes, including war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity.

The court is intended to intervene when national legal systems are unable or unwilling to properly investigate and prosecute such crimes.

The United States has never joined the ICC and is not a member of the court.