Hearing now that both a US and GB helicopter were above the scene when the Iranians took the sailors and marine.
Were they videotaping for a future documentary or were they realizing it's WAR!
The title of michael moore's new movie : How we surrendered to a few gun boats ?
Rules of engagement. The British commander on the scene called headquarters and was refused permission to fire.
I hadn't heard about the US helicopter, but my reading of the situation is that this was a British operation, and British hostages, so the US could not very well intervene unless the British requested or agreed to it.
I think this would be the case even though the Americans are in command in the war theater. It's one of the complications when you fight with allies and they have their own rules of engagement.