United Kingdom Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has authorised military strikes against the Iranian-backed Houthis following hours of an emergency full cabinet meeting on Thursday night.

The latest development comes after the United Nations Security Council had on Wednesday adopted a resolution sponsored by the United States and Japan condemning the actions of the Houthis rebels and its major backer, Iran.

The Houthis, backed by its major weapon supplier, Iran, is a Shia Islamist political and military organisation based in Yemen and has been actively involved in a civil war with Yemen’s internationally recognised government since 2014.

However, the group has intensified its attacks across the Red Sea as part of a show of support for Palestine since the Israel-Hamas began last year — they have hijacked Western commercial ships as well as carried out several rockets and missile attacks on U.S warships.

The group has also launched a barrage of rocket attacks on Israelis from Yemen, which has prompted the decision of the UK government to authorise military action against the Houthis.

The U.S. has carried out several reciprocity attacks on the group in response to their recent aggression, and Sunak’s authorisation is expected to complement the Americans’ military operation in the region.