ICC Halts Probe into Alleged Crimes by US Troops in Afghanistan
Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) have halted the prosecutor's investigations into alleged crimes by American troops in Afghanistan, according to court documents released on Friday. The ICC is a court that investigates individuals for serious international crimes, and it does not depend on the country where an alleged offence occurred to act on it.
The Afghanistan investigation opened in 2020. It covered alleged offences by Afghan government forces, the Taliban, American troops and US foreign intelligence operatives, dating back to 2002. The judges' ruling cited "significant limitations to the Prosecution's ability to conduct its investigations and secure evidence."
The decision also closed the probe into the Islamic State affiliate in Khorasan Province, known as ISKP. Instead, it directs the focus toward the Taliban's actions since 2021. The ICC had issued four arrest warrants for Taliban leaders in 2025.
The line of inquiry into American troops had lain dormant since 2021, when then-prosecutor Karim Khan said he would "deprioritise" it. Khan was removed from the court earlier in 2026 over sexual misconduct allegations. The prosecutor's office has said it has already appealed the decision to halt the investigation into US troops.
The United States is not a member of the ICC and does not recognise the court's jurisdiction, meaning its authority to hear cases. Washington has nonetheless taken direct action against the court. The United States sanctioned 13 current and former ICC staff members over the investigation into alleged crimes by US personnel and over arrest warrants issued against Israeli officials. Sanctions are government restrictions that limit a target's dealings with the country imposing them.
In an October 2026 statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that "President Trump will never allow the International Criminal Court to prosecute Americans." Rubio also warned that the United States will continue its campaign to dismantle the court "brick by brick, until Americans are threatened no longer."
