Trump’s ICC war puts vital US-Japan ties under strain Donald Trump’s escalating campaign against the International Criminal Court is opening a fresh diplomatic fault line with Japan, after Washington sanctioned the court’s Japanese president Tomoko Akane. The move threatens an already uneasy alliance at a critical moment for security in East Asia. Washington targets Japan’s own ICC president The US has frozen assets linked to Ms Akane after accusing the ICC of threatening American sovereignty. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has vowed to dismantle the court “brick by brick”, while the administration’s campaign has increasingly focused on protecting Israeli officials from prosecution. Mr Trump has made that motive explicit, saying Rubio was seeking to defend Benjamin Netanyahu and others targeted by the court over the Gaza war. Washington has now sanctioned half of the ICC’s 18 judges, alongside senior prosecutors and other court officials. Tokyo says the sanctions crossed a line Japan is one of the ICC’s largest financial contributors, making the targeting of its own national particularly sensitive. Ms Akane, appointed in 2024 as the court’s first Japanese president, has called the sanctions a “crisis for the rule of law”. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi insisted Tokyo had pressed Washington until the last moment to stop the sanctions. She said the action was “incompatible with Japan’s position” and warned that her government would take further steps if necessary. The alliance is already under pressure The dispute comes after Mr Trump sparked anger in Japan by joking about the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbour during a meeting with Ms Takaichi. The leaders have otherwise maintained cordial relations, with Trump publicly praising the Japanese prime minister. But tensions are rising across the region. Washington has also cancelled military drills with South Korea amid the strain caused by the Iran war, while Trump has sought renewed engagement with North Korea. A dangerous test for America’s allies Japanese lawmakers are demanding a stronger protest, while Ms Akane has urged Tokyo to use its diplomatic influence against Washington’s campaign. Harvard professor Alex Whiting warned that the assault on the ICC could ultimately “undermine US interests” by emboldening perpetrators of international crimes and further alienating America’s allies. For Japan, the question is increasingly whether its alliance with Washington can withstand pressure from an American administration prepared to turn even friendly governments into collateral damage. Why Trump’s hatred of the ICC threatens relations with a key US ally
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