US sanctions

US sanctions are a foreign policy tool used to exert pressure on countries, organizations, or individuals deemed to be acting against US interests. Recently, these sanctions have become a point of contention, particularly concerning their extraterritorial reach and impact on international bodies. A former prosecutor has called for the EU to create a statute blocking US sanctions against members of the International Criminal Court (ICC), labeling them as "thuggish" and "bullying." This call follows the US imposition of sanctions in February 2025 on 11 ICC officials, including judges and the chief prosecutor, as well as three Palestinian organizations. The sanctions are seen by critics as an attempt to undermine the ICC's operations. In a separate economic context, Iran's stock market has undergone a controlled reopening after a lengthy shutdown, with companies significantly affected by US and Israeli actions, such as energy and steel firms, initially excluded from trading. This highlights the ongoing economic repercussions of US foreign policy and geopolitical tensions on national markets.