U.S. wants allies, including Japan, to end support for International Criminal Court

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WASHINGTON - A U.S. Department of State spokesperson Wednesday voiced hopes that Japan and other allies will terminate their support for the International Criminal Court.

"We expect our allies to end their support for the ICC, which represents a threat to U.S. sovereignty," the spokesperson said in a statement.

On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions against ICC President Tomoko Akane of Japan. The Hague-based court has come under fresh pressure from the U.S. government, mainly due to its war crime investigations involving U.S. troops and its arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The United States, however, is not a member of the ICC.

"Our actions address the conduct of the ICC, not the government of Japan," the statement said.

Regarding whether Washington consulted with Tokyo over the sanctions, the spokesperson said, "We do not comment on internal diplomatic conversations."

Still, the official said, "The U.S.-Japan alliance is the cornerstone of peace, stability and freedom in the Indo-Pacific, and we have no more important partner."