The arrest, while dashing his prospects for the French presidency, has also raised a broader question over the future of the world economic body. Developing countries, looking to a succession, have questioned Europe's hold on the post.
The United States, the IMF's biggest shareholder, said Strauss-Kahn was clearly unable to go on running the global lender from a prison cell, whatever the eventual outcome of the allegations of sexual assault on a New York hotel maid.
"I can't comment on the case, but he is obviously not in a position to run the IMF," Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said, calling for an official stand-in to be named.
