Tehran:Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei has criticized Europe's lack of response to US threats to dismantle the International Criminal Court (ICC), suggesting that the concept of a rules-based international order would be undermined if legal principles are abandoned to appease a powerful ally.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Baqaei made these comments in a post on X, following new US sanctions and threats against the ICC announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The sanctions were declared shortly after former ICC judge Navi Pillay was awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize. Rubio urged US allies who are ICC members to "rein in the court," warning that failure to do so would result in the US continuing its efforts to dismantle the ICC "brick by brick."

In his message, Baqaei referenced historical precedents, implying that international orders can collapse not only through direct aggression but also when the international community remains silent on the normalization of force. He questioned Europe's stance, asking whether standing by an alliance means defending international law or supporting the US in its efforts to dismantle the post-World War II normative and institutional framework.

The US sanctions against the ICC come after the court issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former minister of military affairs Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza.