Marco Rubio Slams ICC, Reaffirms US Rejection of Court’s Jurisdiction

Manila, July 2026 : US Secretary of State Marco Rubio launched a sharp attack on the International Criminal Court (ICC) during the ASEAN meetings in Manila, reiterating Washington’s long-standing rejection of the court’s jurisdiction over American citizens and officials.

Rubio criticised the Hague-based tribunal in unusually strong terms, describing it as a “stupid organisation” and accusing it of exceeding its mandate by attempting to prosecute individuals from countries that are not parties to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC.

The US Secretary of State stressed that the United States has never ratified the Rome Statute and, therefore, does not recognise the ICC’s authority over its military personnel, government officials or political leaders. He argued that the court has no legal basis to pursue cases involving nationals of non-member states.

Rubio said Washington had consistently warned the ICC against initiating proceedings targeting Americans, adding that any attempt to exercise such jurisdiction would be firmly resisted.

“If other countries want to participate in the organisation, that is their choice, but the United States will never accept its jurisdiction over American citizens,” Rubio said, reaffirming that the US position would remain unchanged. He also warned that there would be consequences if the court ignored repeated US objections.

His remarks come amid renewed efforts by the US administration to counter what it views as the ICC’s growing attempts to extend its authority beyond member states.

Earlier this month, the US State Department announced a broad strategy aimed at limiting the court’s ability to investigate or prosecute American servicemen, intelligence officials and government representatives. In a statement issued on July 13, the department described the ICC as an “intolerable threat” to US sovereignty and confirmed that Rubio had initiated a “whole-of-government response” to address the issue.

According to the State Department, the ICC has previously sought to investigate alleged actions involving US military and intelligence personnel, despite the United States not being a member of the court. Washington argues that such moves represent an unwarranted expansion of the ICC’s jurisdiction and undermine the sovereignty of independent nations.

The department said the administration is considering a range of measures, including encouraging allies and partner countries to reject the ICC’s authority over American nationals, reviewing relations with governments that continue to support the court while receiving US assistance, and strengthening cooperation with other countries that are not signatories to the Rome Statute.

Additional options under consideration include imposing visa restrictions, travel bans and sanctions on ICC officials and organisations associated with the court if they pursue investigations involving US citizens.

Rubio’s comments reflect the United States’ consistent position over successive administrations that the ICC should not exercise jurisdiction over nationals of countries that have not joined the Rome Statute. His remarks in Manila underscore Washington’s determination to defend what it considers its sovereign legal authority while opposing any effort by the ICC to prosecute American officials or military personnel.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)