US President Donald Trump said there is no information or indication that the International Criminal Court (ICC) is seeking to investigate or prosecute him.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that five countries have announced plans to withdraw from the ICC since the US launched a campaign earlier this month. He argued that the ICC is an illegitimate international organization because it claims jurisdiction over individuals from countries that are not parties to the court.
The ICC claims jurisdiction over individuals from countries that are not members of the court, which could lead to American service members and political leaders being under indictment. This is the reasoning provided by Rubio regarding the threat to US sovereignty. The US is not a party to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC.
Countries that have announced plans to withdraw from the ICC since the US campaign began this month.
Chad has become the latest country to begin formally withdrawing from the ICC, following Venezuela, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. This brings to five the number of countries announcing withdrawal plans since the US campaign started.
Former ICC prosecutor Karim Khan, who issued Benjamin Netanyahu's arrest warrant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza in 2024, was recently dismissed over misconduct allegations, according to reports. The ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Netanyahu, regarding allegations related to the Gaza war.