Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a ceremony for officers at an army base on Oct. 31. (Amir Cohen/Reuters)
NEW YORK, THENUSANTARAPOST.COM – The United States (US) once again displayed its hard stance against the International Criminal Court (ICC). On Wednesday (Aug 20) local time, Washington officially imposed sanctions on four ICC officials, including a judge who issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The US Department of the Treasury added Nicolas Yann Guillou, Nazhat Shameem Khan, Mame Mandiaye Niang, and Kimberly Prost to its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list — a move that automatically freezes their assets and prohibits transactions in US territory.
Judge Who Issued Netanyahu’s Arrest Warrant Targeted
According to the US State Department, Guillou was sanctioned for authorizing the arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant in November 2024. Both were accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Meanwhile, Prost was sanctioned for approving an investigation into alleged violations committed by US military personnel in Afghanistan.
The other two officials, Khan and Niang, were also sanctioned for their continued support of ICC measures against Israel.
US: ICC a National Security Threat
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressed that Washington strongly rejects the ICC’s actions, which he described as “political” and “illegitimate.”
“These four officials are attempting to investigate, arrest, and prosecute US or Israeli citizens without the consent of either country,” Rubio said.
Rubio even labeled the ICC a threat to the national security of both the US and Israel.
Assets Blocked, Transactions Restricted
With this decision, all assets belonging to the four ICC officials in the US are officially frozen. Any entity in which they hold at least a 50% stake will also be affected.
However, the US Treasury Department issued a general license allowing the completion of transactions until September 19, though funds must be deposited into blocked accounts in the US.
Long-Standing US–ICC Tensions
The latest sanctions further extend the longstanding tensions between the US and the ICC. Washington has long refused to join the international court.
In February, the Trump administration also imposed sanctions on the ICC and Prosecutor Karim Khan, accusing them of taking unlawful actions against the US and its ally Israel.
Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed more than 62,000 Palestinians in Gaza and devastated the territory, triggering a hunger crisis (AA/TNP).