Based on Miqrab AI’s analysis of 501 trending X / Twitter posts in Iraq on May 22, 2025, the digital discourse was dominated by a mix of historical grievances, contemporary security challenges, and regional political shifts. A major narrative involved revived accusations against Iran’s Qasem Soleimani regarding the fall of Mosul. Simultaneously, discussions focused on the controversial deaths of military cadets during training, sparking a debate on accountability within the Iraqi security forces. Regionally, the situation in post-Assad Syria garnered significant attention, with sensational claims about Abu Mohammad al-Jolani and firsthand reports from a journalist on the ground. Other key topics included the arrest of an alleged sabotage cell linked to Saddam Hussein’s family, the execution of a former Ba’athist official, and an attack on Israeli diplomats in Washington D.C., which was widely covered by Iraqi accounts.

Today’s Top 10 X (Twitter) Trends in Iraq:

1. Syria Demands Officer Who Abused al-Jolani

A highly engaged topic centers on the claim that the new Syrian government, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, is demanding Iraq hand over an officer who allegedly sexually assaulted Abu Mohammad al-Jolani while he was imprisoned in Iraq. The post by Wasin Al-Shaikhli (Post Impact: 90%) directly reports this demand. A related post by Hassan Al-Kaabi (Post Impact: 8%) mockingly calls for al-Jolani to undergo a DNA test, referencing the alleged incident.

2. Deaths of Military Cadets Spark Outrage

A significant conversation erupted following the death of two military college students during training, which led to the dismissal of Academy President Nasser al-Ghannam and other officials. Accounts like Hiba Alnnayib (Post Impact: 17%) questioned whether al-Ghannam was the only one who should be held responsible. Conversely, Bahaa khaleel (Post Impact: 6%) described deaths during harsh military training as something “normal that happens in all countries.” Salam Al-Husseini (Post Impact: 5%) criticized the training methods and questioned if the government’s response was proportionate to the loss of life, while Yasser Eljuboori (Post Impact: 4%) shared a video of the funeral for one of the students, Hussein Essam.

3. Attack on Israeli Diplomats in Washington D.C.

Iraqi accounts widely reported on an attack in Washington D.C. that resulted in the deaths of two Israeli embassy employees. ZaidBenjamin (Post Impact: 16%) shared initial footage of the suspect’s arrest and reported eyewitness accounts from CNN and Fox News stating the attacker shouted slogans like “I did it for Gaza. Free Palestine!” Sufian Al-Samarrai (Post Impact: 17%) described the attacker as a “criminal terrorist” who used a slogan spread by Qatar, Turkey, and Iran, predicting a backlash against “jihadist gangs.” Omar Abdulsatar (Post Impact: 20%) framed the event as “Iran kills Israelis in Washington.”

4. Nujaifi Accuses Soleimani Over Fall of Mosul

A video clip shared by Hiba Alnnayib (Post Impact: 100%) features former Parliament Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi making explosive claims against the late Iranian general Qasem Soleimani. According to Nujaifi, Soleimani threatened him in Tehran, saying that Mosul would fall unless Nujaifi complied with Nouri al-Maliki’s demands. Nujaifi alleges that four months before the city’s fall, Soleimani explicitly told him, “Either you surrender to the Shiites, or we will send ISIS to you.” This historical accusation reignited debates about the circumstances surrounding the fall of Mosul to ISIS.

5. Faig Al-Sheikh Ali Defends Tishreen Revolution

Politician Faig al-Sheikh Ali (Post Impact: 24%) posted two widely engaged tweets criticizing a female parliamentarian for allegedly describing the Tishreen popular uprising as a “Zionist-American” movement. He argues her statement was a “clear and explicit accusation” against what he calls “the greatest popular revolution in Iraq’s history.” Al-Sheikh Ali states that, from a legal perspective, the revolutionaries and the families of the martyrs could sue the MP for this “explicit slander” and insists that she must “admit the mistake.”

6. Iraqi Journalist Reports from Post-Assad Syria

Journalist Othman Al-Mokhtar (Post Impact: 30%) provided a detailed, positive firsthand account of his travels through post-Assad Syria, including cities like Aleppo, Idlib, Homs, and Damascus. He describes a high level of security, people still celebrating the fall of the regime, and a welcoming attitude towards him as an Iraqi. Despite significant economic pressure, he quotes Syrians as saying, “much is gone, and only a little is left,” and that they view the ousting of the Assad regime as their greatest gift. In an earlier post, Othman Al-Mokhtar (Post Impact: 21%) also shared a simple greeting with a photo from Aleppo.

7. Execution Sentence for Ba’athist Official

The Iraqi judiciary issued a death sentence by hanging for Khairallah Hammadi Abd Jaro, described as a Ba’athist-era security brigadier general. Fadel Abu Raghef (Post Impact: 15%) celebrated the verdict from the Supreme Criminal Court as a “long-awaited” judgment for massacres he allegedly committed against the people of the city of Balad. Similarly, Haider (Post Impact: 12%) detailed some of the crimes Jaro was convicted of, including the executions of Sheikh Aref al-Basri and his companions in 1974 and the assassinations of tribal figures.

8. “Ahrar al-Iraq” Sabotage Cell Dismantled

Iraqi security forces announced the dismantling of a “sabotage cell” in Baghdad called “Ahrar al-Iraq.” According to a post by Haider (Post Impact: 18%), the group was headed by the fugitive Jamal Mustafa al-Sultan, who is the husband of Saddam Hussein’s youngest daughter, Hala, and currently resides in Doha. Security analyst Fadel Abu Raghef (Post Impact: 8%) praised the Baghdad Intelligence and Counter-Terrorism Directorate for this “exceptional” operation, describing them as “Iraq’s vigilant conscience, watchful over our security and tranquility.”

9. Lebanese President’s Reported Sistani Visit

Conflicting reports emerged regarding a potential visit between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. The account Haider (Post Impact: 15%) reported that President Aoun submitted a request to Ayatollah Sistani’s office for a meeting during his planned visit to Iraq at the end of the month. However, Hassan Al-Kaabi (Post Impact: 8%) later posted an “urgent” update claiming that Sistani’s office had apologized and declined to receive the Lebanese President.

10. Debate on Integrating PMF into Defense Ministry

The role and structure of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), or Hashd al-Shaabi, was a subject of debate. Ahmad Abdul Sada (Post Impact: 16%) argued against integrating the PMF into the Ministry of Defense to prevent its members from falling under the command of a “Sunni” defense minister linked to “Sunni” Arab regimes hostile to the PMF. He also expressed concern about PMF fighters being controlled by “Sunni” officers imbued with Ba’athist culture. In a related discussion, Jaafar Al-Aboudi (Post Impact: 4%) criticized PMF chairman Faleh al-Fayadh for allegedly allowing Ba’athist leaders to infiltrate the organization, stating that the PMF was founded by a fatwa, not an election ballot.