How should the US respond to Iran detaining 10 US Sailors?

There is so much about this that strikes me as "odd". It's impossible to imagine both craft having the same malfunction, at the same time...so if it truly was a failure of their navigation equipment, I'm pretty certain these Sailors could use other methods of getting into International Waters safely. If one craft became DIW, then yes, the other would've provided cover; Even then, it's pretty hard to imagine two such craft being painted into such a corner they would be forced out of any option but allowing themselves to be towed in and taken into custody. Yes, I'm sure the political and tactical realities would've precluded a hell for leather showdown...but there's definitely more to this than meets the eye.

SGM, my guess is that a) they were outmanned and outgunned and b) were following ROE. If they were caught in Iranian waters, particularly if it truly was unintentional, they had no legal justification for resisting detainment without exacerbating an already tense situation. By resisting, they could have escalated what amounts to a law enforcement detainment into a shooting war.

Now, if they were in international waters and the same thing happened, it's a very different situation. Attempt at detainment in international waters could be considered an act of war.

Simple; the Rule of Engagement (ROE) along with some other "standing" orders made it very clear to the crew not to engage the Iranians nor offer any resistance. We've been down this channel before back in the 1980's in Beirut with the "Don't shoot back" club. Marines standing guard posts without ammo for their weapons and strict orders that when fired upon, don't shoot back (not that they could, etc.) And of course we all know what happened to the Marine Barracks.

Timing is everything...right before the State of the Union and then released...HMMMMM. Especially to say that both boats had mechanical difficulties. That is like the odds of two of our aircraft launching the same time and both having flameouts on takeoff. International political move trying to make a statement on the worlds stage knowing it would make headlines yesterday. I am sure our folks have been operating out there for some time and they just happened to get caught yesterday?

For once I believe our leadership did the right things and let law enforcement of territorial waters and diplomacy work. I guarantee the folks at Dept of State ran with this one. I also tend to believe the Iranians probably didn't do anything we wouldn't have if they crossed the lines of Intl waters into our territorial waters...just my two cents.

SGM David W. Carr LOM, DMSM MP SGT Here's a thought. The service members are currently in reintegration, so the Navy can learn about what happened. After the Navy gets all the facts straight they will release a statement about what they want us to know.

Response really comes down to how our guys were detained. If they had strayed into Iranian waters by accident (as is claimed), Iran had every right to detain them. As long as the sailors were not abused, and all of our equipment is returned as well, I see it as no-harm, no foul. Now if our guys were in International waters, regardless of how close they were to the border, and snatched at the point of a gun, that is a different issue altogether.

Look at the video's the Iranians released. Unless their was a large Iranian patrol boat somewhere out of frame, it appears that we outgunned the Iranians. I'm also sure that the Navy and Air Force would have been able to provide air cover as well. This means our folks were told not to engage and to surrender rather than put up a fight. I just hope they successfully completed their mission before being intercepted by the Iranians.

I think it is possible that Iran was jamming their GPS units or, they were not IN Iranian waters. But my question is, Why didn't Boat 2 just pull Boat 1 out into International Waters? Even with non-functioning GPS units they had to know they were close.
Regardless, Iran went against The Geneva Convention. Something does not add up here, IMHO....
Thanks,
Rick

Sending a very Stern letter, and creating a hashtag, both very effectively used by the current administration...

In this case it appears it was handled as it should have been, diplomatically.