ELI5: Why did Iran fire missiles at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean?

Iran did not fire missiles at Diego Garcia; that didn't happen.

Imagine your neighbor has a really big house with lots of friends visiting all the time. This big house is like Diego Garcia, which is a military base used by the United States. It's like a very important parking spot for planes and ships.

Now, imagine you and another neighbor are having a big argument, maybe over a noisy dog or a fence. The other neighbor is like Iran. Sometimes, when people are arguing, they might do things to show they're strong or angry, but they don't always directly attack each other's houses.

Instead of attacking the big house (Diego Garcia), Iran might do other things to show they're upset, like:

• Making loud noises near their own house so the big house can hear them. This is like Iran doing military exercises.
• Saying mean things about the big house on the internet. This is like Iran making strong statements.
• Trying to get other neighbors to agree with them. This is like Iran trying to make alliances.