For months, Saudi Arabia has been leading a bombing campaign against Shiite rebels in Yemen. Now foreign ground troops are joining the fight.

Why is Yemen so important to Saudi Arabia? Is this simply a proxy war involving Iran (Saudi Arabia’s regional rival)? And if it deteriorates further, how might the conflict affect the rest of the world?

A regional struggle may be about to escalate. Saudi Arabia has 150,000 troops on its southern border with Yemen. A Saudi-led coalition is committing more military resources. This month, the United Arab Emirates sent in a military brigade to join the fight on the ground.

To discuss Yemen’s regional tension:

• Baraa Shiban is a Yemeni human rights activist.
• Mohammed Alyahya is a Saudi political analyst.
• Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya he is a research associate at the Center for Research on Globalization.

To discuss the region’s involvement in Yemen’s conflict:

• Catherine Shakdam is a political analyst.