The United States expressed concern that Iran may provide Russia with Ababil and Fateh-110 short-range ballistic missiles to use in Ukraine. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had viewed displays of the missiles during a visit to Tehran in September. U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that, in return, Iran wants to purchase combat aircraft, radars, and attack helicopters from Russia. He added that Russia has already helped Iran on its space program and has offered cooperation on missiles, military electronics, and air defense.

The United States issued a new 120-day sanctions waiver allowing Iraq to purchase electricity from Iran. In total there is roughly $10 billion in Iraqi payments held in escrow in Iraq. The waiver kept a provision in place that allows some of the proceeds from the payments to be transferred into accounts in Oman, where they can be converted to other currencies for Iran to spend on humanitarian goods after a vetting process.

Yemen's Houthi rebels shot down a U.S. drone on November 8. The Houthis have also launched three rounds of attacks against Israel. In the first, in late October, a U.S. Navy warship operating in the Red Sea shot down projectiles launched by the group. In the second, on October 27, drones caused explosions in two Egyptian Red Sea towns. In the third, on October 31, Israel used its Arrow defense system to destroy an incoming ballistic missile.

Over a one-week span, Iran-backed groups launched 10 drone and rocket attacks against bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq, and another three against a base in Syria. For more than six months previously, the groups had refrained from such attacks as part of an apparent undeclared truce between the United States and Iran. The U.S. Department of Defense believes that Iran may now be encouraging the strikes. According to U.S. officials, the United States is sending air defense systems to locations in Kuwait, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.