Houthi rebels backed by Iran reached the strategic island of Perim in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Friday, four Yemeni government sources told Reuters, moving to tighten their grip on a vital global shipping route in the widening Middle East war. Earlier, two sources from the Saudi-backed, internationally recognised Yemeni government said its forces had pulled out of Perim and that the Houthis had also taken the mainland Red Sea coastal town of Dhubab, which faces the island. If ​the Houthis gain control of ‌the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, on the opposite side of the Arabian Peninsula from the Strait of Hormuz, it could give their backer Iran a critical advantage in its war with ⁠the US, reducing supplies through a second major corridor and further raising oil prices. Read moreMiddle East live: Houthis seize entire Red Sea coast of Yemen The war began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran six months ago and Hormuz, conduit for about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade, was effectively closed. Since then Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter and a ‌close US ally, has relied on the Red Sea route. Iran and the US have escalated attacks this week on Gulf shipping. US President Donald Trump has jacked up economic pressure ⁠on Tehran. Iran confirmed on Friday that its representatives and those of Iraq and the Gulf Arab states would meet in Oman on Monday to resume discussions on safe commercial shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz. Read moreIran and US strike tankers in biggest shipping attack since war began In a speech marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the US, Trump called Iran “the world’s number one sponsor of terror”. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian responded by saying the accusation ​came from “the same devils” responsible for an apparent US strike on a school at the start of the conflict in February. Smoke seen above Saudi East-West oil pipeline Satellite imagery verified ‌by Reuters showed smoke on Thursday in the vicinity of Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline, a vital means for the kingdom to divert crude exports from Hormuz. The pipeline was temporarily shut on Thursday following attacks, Saudi state media reported, citing a source in the energy ministry, who added that the attacks resulted in a number of injuries. There was no confirmation from Saudi Arabia of any incident in the area. The Saudi government media office and state oil giant Aramco did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Saudi ‌crude supply fell 2.3 million barrels per day on the month in August to 6 million bpd, the lowest in more than three decades, the International Energy Agency said on Friday, partly due to the targeting of ships transiting Bab el-Mandeb by Houthi-linked groups. Oil prices dipped on Friday but were on track to end the week ​above $100 a barrel for the first time since mid-May.