The Wall Street Journal Logistics Report Maritime Security

The Wall Street Journal Logistics Report Maritime Security   Iran-backed Houthi militants seized a strategic island in the Bab al-Mandeb strait and a town along its mainland coast on Friday, the Journal reports. The advance gives the Yemeni rebels effective control of one of the world’s most important shipping chokepoints after a rapid offensive.   The Houthis took control of Perim Island, Saudi and Yemeni officials said. The volcanic island sits inside the Bab al-Mandeb and divides the narrow waterway into two shipping channels, giving whoever holds it a powerful position to threaten vessels entering or leaving the Red Sea. The militants also reached the Yemeni ‌town of Dhubab, which sits directly on the strait.   The seizures cap a series of swift Houthi gains. The militants captured the strategic port city of Mokha on Thursday and are pushing along other stretches of Yemen’s Red Sea coast.   • Saudi Arabia’s oil production fell 23% in August to 6.24 million barrels a day, as Houthi rebel threats disrupted west coast exports.   • OPEC cut its forecast for global oil-demand growth this year to 380,000 barrels a day, down from its previous estimate of 580,000 barrels a day. (WSJ)   • Iran has resumed production of missiles, assembling them from stored components despite significant disruption to its manufacturing base and supply chain. (WSJ)   • Somali pirates reportedly seized the bulk carrier Glamor in the Gulf of Aden, the latest in a string of recent attacks on commercial vessels. (Lloyd’s List)