Will US retaliate against Iran for detaining sailors?

The Obama administration hasn't ruled out retaliating against Iran for detaining 10 American sailors, US officials told Al-Monitor, even as the delicate nuclear diplomacy between the two countries greatly complicates any response.

While the US Navy hasn't finished its investigation, Defense Secretary Ash Carter has already said the two captured US riverboats had accidentally strayed into Iranian territorial waters. Iran asserts that it must be notified ahead of time of so-called innocent passage incursions by warships, but President Barack Obama has previously challenged that claim as contrary to international maritime law.

"Pending our investigation, these laws may apply, but political negotiations may negate any legal action," Pentagon spokesman Christopher Sherwood told Al-Monitor.

Sherwood declined to elaborate on what form such a legal action could take, and experts doubt any avenue for redress exists at all. The United States, however, could issue a diplomatic protest, continue to challenge Iranian restrictions with naval operations — or both.