As global media keep their focus on the Islamic State (IS) and the US airstrikes in Syria and Iraq, other notable, potentially headline-making events are being missed.
On Sept. 20, China dispatched ships to the Persian Gulf for a joint exercise with the Iranian navy — the first time that Chinese warships have ever sailed in the Gulf. The Chinese missile destroyer Changchun and missile frigate Changzhou of the 17th Naval Fleet took part in a five-day joint training drill, the aim of which was "establishing peace, stability, tranquility and multilateral and mutual cooperation," according to Adm. Amir Hossein Azad, commander of Iran's First Naval Zone.