ELI5: Who is fighting in the Iran War?

Right now, no one is officially fighting an Iran War, but there are tensions and smaller disagreements with other countries, especially the United States and Israel.

Imagine you and your friend Ali both want the same toy. You don't start punching each other right away, right? Instead, you might:

• Argue about who deserves it more.
• Try to get your other friends to take your side.
• Maybe even play tricks on each other, like hiding the toy.

Iran is like a strong kid on the block who wants to be the leader. The United States is like a bigger kid from another neighborhood who thinks they should have a say in what happens on your block. Israel is like a neighbor who doesn't trust Iran and thinks they might try to take their toys.

So, instead of a big, all-out fight, there are smaller disagreements:

• Arguments: Leaders give speeches that disagree with each other.
• Helping other groups: Iran might support groups in other countries that are fighting against people the U.S. supports. It's like helping your friend beat up someone you don't like.
• Cyber stuff: Countries might try to hack into each other's computers to steal secrets or cause problems.