The United States has announced a major campaign against the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing it of threatening US sovereignty and pledging measures to weaken its operations.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would pressure countries to withdraw from the Hague-based court and cut financial support, while the State Department said further sanctions could target ICC officials.

The move follows earlier US sanctions on ICC officials over an arrest warrant issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Washington has long rejected the court’s jurisdiction over Americans and Israel, having signed but not ratified the Rome Statute that established the ICC.

The ICC, founded in 2002, prosecutes individuals accused of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Several countries, including Burundi, the Philippines, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, have withdrawn or started withdrawal procedures, while others later reversed similar decisions.