U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the sanctions target ICC President Tomoko Akane (Japanese) and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye (Senegalese), representing the latest escalation in the Donald Trump administration's efforts to "dismantle" the court. The sanctions include asset freezes, travel bans, and restrictions on U.S. companies providing services. The U.S. accuses the ICC of investigating officials without its government's consent, claiming the move is retaliation for the ICC's investigation into U.S. personnel in Afghanistan and for issuing arrest warrants for alleged Gaza war crimes against Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Neither the U.S. nor Israel are members of the ICC.