Ladies and gentlemen: Our partners in peace.
Iran has opened fire at a U.S. cargo ship and directed it to Bandar Abbas port on the southern coast of Iran, Al Arabiya News Channel has reported on Tuesday.
A Pentagon spokesman told Reuters Iranian forces had boarded a Marshall Island-flagged vessel, the MV Maersk Tigris, in the Gulf. He said the boarding occurred after Iranian patrol boats fired shots across the vessel’s bow and ordered it deeper into Iranian waters.
As Ace of Spades notes, the Pentagon is actually trying to downplay this by saying the ship isn’t US-flagged. But:
I remember seeing the Marshall Islands on maps, and whenever I see it on a map, the map says:
Marshall Islands (U.S.)
In fact, a simple look-up on Wikipedia confirms the Marshall Islands are in “free association” with the United States, and has its defense provided for, by treaty, by the United States.
In fact, citizens of the Marshall Islands serve in the US Armed forces… Though once a US territory, the Marshall Islands became independent in 1979. Nevertheless, it is still in such close “free association” with the US that the US Postal System delivers its mail.
It’s written down and everything:
USA has a legal obligation to treat an attack on Marshall Islands like an attack on the USA http://t.co/FKQb1z1E9H pic.twitter.com/A9vPL0rQa6
— Arieh Kovler (@ariehkovler) April 28, 2015
But those are just words on paper. It would be politically inconvenient to abide by this obligation, wouldn’t it? Oh well.
Too bad, so sad, Marshall Islanders. Look on the bright side, though: At least you’re still getting your mail.
Update: Yyyyyyep.