The United States conducted strikes in Iraq and Syria on Friday, the apparent beginning of a long-promised retaliatory campaign against Iranian-aligned militants whom the White House blames for the killing of three U.S. soldiers in Jordan on Sunday. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group comprising multiple militias backed by Iran, claimed responsibility for the Jan. 28 attack. Israel’s defense minister said the focus of Israel’s military operation will turn to Rafah — a city in southern Gaza that is now said to be home to almost half the enclave’s population.