Tehran: Iran has condemned Washington's campaign to pressure countries into ending cooperation with the International Criminal Court (ICC), describing the effort as 'overt blackmail and intimidation to suffocate justice.' Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, made these remarks in a post on his X account, highlighting concerns over the United States' intentions to shield American and Israeli officials and military personnel from accountability.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Gharibabadi criticized the United States for threatening ICC member states with sanctions, visa revocations, and political pressure. He accused Washington of attempting to build a protective wall around officials and military personnel of both the US and Israeli regimes. "This is overt blackmail and intimidation to suffocate justice before it reaches the American-Zionist defendants," Gharibabadi asserted.

The Iranian official's comments came in response to the US State Department's announcement on Monday regarding the launch of a broad campaign to counter what it perceives as ICC 'threats.' The US statement outlined a coordinated, government-wide response aimed at systematically disabling the ICC's ability to operate, prosecute US military personnel or officials, or take actions that it deemed to threaten US sovereignty.

The measures announced by Washington include diplomatic efforts to compel countries to withdraw from the ICC, pressure on security partners to reject the court's jurisdiction over Americans, and reviews of US assistance. Additionally, the campaign involves implementing visa restrictions, travel bans, and expanded sanctions targeting ICC personnel and affiliated organizations.