A spokesman for Kataib Hezbollah said Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi would trigger an “escalation” if he continued to clamp down on Iranian-backed militias in the country, the Associated Press reported July 9. Why It Matters: Al-Kadhimi is facing increased domestic and international pressure to clamp down on militia groups following the assassination of a prominent security analyst in Baghdad, which was widely believed to have been carried out by Kataib Hezbollah or another militia group. Al-Kadhimi’s promised crackdown and Kataib Hezbollah’s response raises the potential for increased clashes between Iraqi security forces and the country’s various militias, which could increase the risk of violence and civil strife in Baghdad and elsewhere throughout the country.