http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/28/polit...ship-u-s-official-says-no-americans-on-board/ Well probably not real "real" ... I just wanted to type that. But still, this is a level above the games that typically go on there. Even though this is a Marahall Islands flagged vessel, the US is bound by a security treaty to defend that vessel as if it were sovereign American territory.
This episode sounds a little fishy. Particularly the part about Iran having some sort of financial dispute with the shipping company. BO will not protect anything unless there is some political advantage to do so. Can you see a treaty with the Marshall Islands being a motivation for him to attack Iranians with his legacy on the line with the Iranian nuclear deal being negotiated?