{
  "id": 2096780,
  "title": "U.S. wants allies, including Japan, to end support for International Criminal Court",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/u-s-wants-allies-including-japan-to-end-support-for-international",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-20T08:03:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Japan Times",
    "slug": "japan-times",
    "url": "https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/08/20/japan/us-statement-icc-aid-japan/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Washington has expressed the hope that Japan and its other allies will cease supporting the International Criminal Court (ICC), according to a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State. The spokesperson stated that the ICC poses a threat to U.S. sovereignty. On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions against ICC President Tomoko Akane, who is from Japan.\n\nThe ICC has faced increased pressure from the U.S. government recently, primarily because of its investigations into war crimes involving U.S. troops and its issuance of an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It is important to note that the United States is not a member of the ICC.\n\nThe spokesperson clarified that the U.S. actions target the conduct of the ICC, not the Japanese government. They declined to comment on whether Washington had discussions with Tokyo regarding the sanctions. However, they emphasized the importance of the U.S.-Japan alliance as the cornerstone of peace, stability, and freedom in the Indo-Pacific, and affirmed that they have no more significant partner.",
  "summary": "The statement by a U.S. State Department spokesperson follows U.S. sanctions announced Tuesday against ICC President Tomoko Akane of Japan.",
  "key_points": [
    "U.S. seeks allies, including Japan, to stop backing ICC",
    "ICC threatens U.S. sovereignty, prompting sanctions",
    "U.S. sanctions target ICC conduct, not Japan"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The US move signals a deeper strain in its relationships with allies, including Japan, over the ICC, which the US sees as a threat to its sovereignty and interests abroad.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}