These maps show what could happen next in Yemen — and how it could impact global politics

Currently, Houthi forces control most of western Yemen including the capital, Sanaa. Houthi forces have allied themselves with army units loyal to former Yemeni President President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was forced to step down from power in 2011 during the Arab Spring.

These Houthi-led forces are battling against army units loyal to Hadi in the south, as well as against al Qaeda and Sunni tribes in central Yemen. Al Qaeda has proven to be among the most capable of the anti-Houthi forces. “Unfortunately the vanguard of Sunnis in Yemen has been Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which is a very bad development for the US and the broader region,” Oren Adaki, a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Business Insider.

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