The US military launched retaliatory air strikes against Iranian forces and Tehran-backed militia groups in both Iraq and Syria on Friday, following a recent drone attack that killed three American soldiers at Tower 22, a remote base in Jordan. The extensive air attacks were ordered in response to the deaths of the soldiers last Sunday in a drone strike blamed by Washington on Iran-backed forces. “Our response began today. It will continue at times and places of our choosing,” US President Joe Biden said in a statement. “The United States does not seek conflict in the Middle East or anywhere e…