US sanctions ICC chief prosecutor and Japanese judge

WASHINGTON, United States — WASHINGTON — The United States has imposed sanctions on International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan and a Japanese judge on the court, the State Department announced on Thursday. The measures target officials involved in ICC actions that Washington considers a threat to US sovereignty. The sanctions mark an escalation in long-running tensions between Washington and The Hague-based court over investigations into US citizens and allied personnel. The State Department said the designations freeze any US-based assets of the named individuals and bar Americans from transactions with them. The ICC has in recent years opened cases involving alleged war crimes in Afghanistan and the Palestinian territories, moves that have drawn repeated criticism from US administrations. Japan, a close US ally, has not publicly commented on the designation of its national serving on the court. The State Department did not immediately name the Japanese judge affected or specify further designations. No immediate response from the ICC was reported.