Trump Escalates Over Israel.. Wide American Sanctions Targeting the International Criminal Court

Washington - Afaq News - The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is preparing to impose broad sanctions on the International Criminal Court, in a new escalation of the confrontation between Washington and the court over its investigations and arrest warrants issued against Israeli officials.

According to a report published by the Wall Street Journal on Sunday, the upcoming measures will go beyond the sanctions that have so far targeted officials and judges at the court, to affect the institution itself and most dealings with it.

The newspaper reported that the sanctions will prevent most transactions with the International Criminal Court, but the implementation of the restrictions will begin after a grace period of 6 to 7 months, giving the parties dealing with it time to arrange their affairs before the measures take effect.

Targeting the court itself, if the plan is implemented as stated in the report, would significantly expand the scope of U.S. pressures compared to previous measures that focused on specific individuals.

According to the Wall Street Journal, comprehensive sanctions could hinder the court's ability to access dollars and the financial system, and make dealings with it more difficult for institutions and companies that fear exposure to U.S. sanctions.

The U.S. administration has not yet officially announced the final details of the new procedures or the date of their issuance.

This potential step comes as an extension of a path followed by the Trump administration against the court in the past period. Data from the U.S. Department of the Treasury shows that there is an existing sanctions program related to the International Criminal Court, along with licenses and procedures that define permissible transactions and exceptions to the restrictions.

In the latest announced action, the Treasury Department imposed sanctions related to the court on August 18, which included the court's president, Tomoko Akane, and Judge Abdullah Sai, while issuing a license that allows for the termination of certain transactions related to the individuals covered by the sanctions.