Marco Rubio slaps UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese with sanctions for ‘political and economic warfare’ against US

"Albanese’s campaign of political and economic warfare against the United States and Israel will no longer be tolerated," Rubio posted on X. "We will always stand by our partners in their right to self-defense."

Rubio said the sanctions are a direct response to what he called Albanese’s “illegitimate and shameful efforts to prompt International Criminal Court action against US and Israeli officials, companies, and executives.” Albanese is now banned from entering the US and may see her assets in the country frozen, pending further Treasury enforcement actions.

According to Fox News, Albanese was appointed in 2022 and has repeatedly drawn criticism for incendiary remarks regarding Israel and Jewish communities. In her latest report to the UN Human Rights Council, Albanese claimed the US could be "liable for the international crime of aggression" after President Donald Trump authorized strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities last month.

She has also suggested legal action against American defense companies supplying military equipment to Israel and falsely described Israeli policies as “apartheid.” In a now-deleted 2022 social media post, she questioned whether “the Jewish lobby” controlled US foreign policy, a statement she later walked back after backlash over its antisemitic implications.

Lawmakers and human rights groups across the political spectrum have condemned her rhetoric defending Hamas and other Palestinian terrorists. Albanese once said the terrorist organization’s violence was “not surprising” given the conditions in Gaza.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar posted on social media, “A clear message. Time for the UN to pay attention!” Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon told the Jerusalem Post, “Albanese consistently undermines the credibility of the UN by promoting false and dangerous narratives… We will not remain silent.”

Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of UN Watch, said, “This is a bold and courageous move by Secretary Rubio,” he said in a statement. “No UN official — in this case, a purported official, as her reappointment was illegal — has ever been sanctioned before in history. Then again, no UN official has ever been condemned for Holocaust distortion and antisemitism by France, Germany, Canada, and both Democratic and Republican U.S. administrations.”

He added, “She will never again spread her poison on American campuses or enter the country. Justice is served. Good triumphs over evil.”

Rubio’s announcement coincides with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s four-day visit to Washington, focused on ceasefire and hostage negotiations in Gaza.

This marks the second high-profile sanctions move by the Trump administration against international legal figures this year. In February, the US sanctioned ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan after he announced arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Khan’s American assets were frozen, his email and banking access terminated, and US-based ICC staff warned they could face arrest if they entered the country.

These actions fall under the scope of an executive order signed by President Trump targeting international legal entities seen as hostile to American and allied military personnel. Rubio added, “We will continue to take whatever actions we deem necessary to respond to lawfare and protect our sovereignty and that of our allies.”