Based on an analysis of (464) Facebook posts trending on January 26, 2026, Miqrab AI identified several key narratives driving conversation in Iraq. The most engaged-with content expressed public frustration over economic hardship and government failures, with one creator emphatically siding with the populace over any political position. This sentiment was interwoven with widespread discussion of a viral social scandal involving a man named Alaa, which many commentators linked to the country’s broader moral and economic decay. Other major topics included the adjournment of a critical parliamentary session, a security incident involving militia bodyguards in the Green Zone, ongoing political negotiations for the presidency, and official statements from the Prime Minister’s office on economic and security matters.

Today’s Top 10 Facebook Trends in Iraq:

1. Public Outcry Over Economic Neglect

The most impactful post of the day came from creator Aziz Nasser (Post Impact: 100%), who declared his solidarity with the Iraqi people against policies affecting their livelihoods. He stated, “I am with the people and I don’t care about any position… No to fighting people for their livelihoods, whatever the circumstances. People are not responsible for your years of failure.” This sentiment of blaming officials for economic hardship was echoed by others. The page Set Ashwaq Um Al-Qanuniyya (Post Impact: 15%) listed numerous crises, from the rising dollar exchange rate and gold prices to regional instability, before connecting them to the viral “Alaa” scandal as another symptom of the country’s problems. Similarly, Ammar Al-Halfi (Post Impact: 4%) urged his followers to share videos of authorities demolishing the homes of the poor with the same vigor they shared the social scandal, highlighting a perceived injustice against the impoverished.

2. “Alaa” Adultery Scandal Dominates Social Media

A personal scandal involving a man identified as “Alaa” became a dominant topic of discussion across numerous Iraqi Facebook pages. The story revolves around a video, allegedly filmed and released by Alaa’s wife, showing him in a compromising situation with another woman. Pages like Haider Al-Hamdani (Post Impact: 48%) and Al-E’lami Qahtan Adnan (Post Impact: 11%) shared clips discussing and analyzing the “scandal.” Details of the aftermath were widely reported, with pages like Erbil Events (Post Impact: 13%) and Baghdad (Post Impact: 7%) stating that Alaa was arrested after the video went viral. The Erbil Events page also shared a statement from the wife’s lawyer, who claimed she did not leak the video but had submitted it as evidence in a legal case for marital infidelity filed over a week prior. The widespread commentary, condemnation, and sharing of memes turned the personal dispute into a national digital event.

3. Parliament Adjourns Key Session on Economy

The adjournment of a parliamentary session due to a lack of quorum generated significant frustration and criticism. Parliamentarian Mustafa Sanad (Post Impact: 38%) posted a brief video simply stating, “The session was unfortunately adjourned.” Other pages provided more context, explaining that the session was critical for the public. Tara’if al-Alam bi-Uyun Iraqiyya (Post Impact: 2%) reported that the session was meant to discuss tax increases and cuts to employee allowances, noting that over 300 deputies were absent. The page Iraq (Post Impact: 2%) shared a similar view, lamenting that “unfortunately the most important session of parliament was adjourned because it concerns the citizen and not the political class!”

4. Clashes Between Militias in Green Zone

Multiple pages reported on a security incident involving gunfire inside Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone. The page Steven Nabil (Post Impact: 8%) stated the shooting occurred after a “verbal altercation and quarrel between the protection of Hadi al-Amiri and the protection of Abu Alaa.” This account was corroborated by Muntadhar Al-Zaidi (Post Impact: 2%), who added that the incident began after the convoy of Abu Alaa al-Walai ran over a member of al-Amiri’s guard and fled the scene. Yalla (Post Impact: 2%) and Rusly Al-Maliki (Post Impact: 2%) also reported on the heavy gunfire and the closure of the area’s entrances, attributing the clashes to disputes between guards of leaders within the Coordination Framework.

5. Political Blocs Meet Ahead of Presidential Vote

As Iraq approached a scheduled parliamentary session to elect a new president, several pages highlighted key political meetings. The official page of Nouri Al-Maliki (Post Impact: 5%) announced his meeting with Muthanna al-Samarrai, head of the Azm Alliance, where they stressed the importance of proceeding with the constitutional process. Meanwhile, the page of Mohammed Al-Halbousi (Post Impact: 2%) reported on his meeting with the head of the Iraqi Turkmen Front, discussing the presidential election and the local government in Kirkuk. However, Al-Khawa Al-Nadifa (Post Impact: 7%) later announced, quoting Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, that the session for electing the president would be postponed until the following Sunday.

6. US Envoy Warns Against Iran-Backed Government

Statements from a U.S. official regarding the formation of the next Iraqi government were shared by multiple pages, signaling Washington’s position. The page Al-Khawa Al-Nadifa (Post Impact: 8%) quoted U.S. envoy to Syria, Tom Barak, as saying, “A government installed by Iran in Iraq will not succeed in achieving the aspirations of Iraqis.” Steven Nabil (Post Impact: 4%) provided a more detailed account of the statement, which reportedly followed a phone call with Massoud Barzani. According to the post, Barak’s message was that “any government installed with the support of Iran will not be successful, neither in meeting the aspirations of Iraqis or Syrians for a better future, nor in establishing an effective partnership with the United States.”

7. PM Sudani Chairs Key Economic and Security Meetings

The official Facebook page of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani (Post Impact: 9%) shared updates on high-level government meetings. One post detailed a meeting of the Ministerial Council for Economy, which focused on “maximizing revenues and reducing expenditures.” The Prime Minister directed the formation of a committee to establish a new directorate for public revenue collection. In a separate meeting of the National Security Council, reported by his page (Post Impact: 2%), the discussion centered on the transfer of ISIS terrorist elements from Syrian prisons. The council affirmed this as a “purely security decision aimed at protecting Iraq” and approved a comprehensive roadmap for managing the transfer and bringing the elements to justice.

8. Family Found Murdered in Erbil Home

A tragic incident in Erbil involving the murder of a family was reported by local news pages. The page Erbil Events (Post Impact: 2%) reported that the bodies of a family were found inside their home under mysterious circumstances. The victims were identified as a retired father, a retired teacher mother, and their engineer son. A more detailed account from Yalla (Post Impact: 1%), citing local media, indicated signs of a criminal act. It stated that the parents showed signs of strangulation while their son had suffered more than thirty stab wounds. Security forces have reportedly launched an investigation into the incident.

9. Economic Anxiety Over Dollar and Gold Prices

Public concern over the state of the economy was evident in several posts focusing on the rising exchange rate of the U.S. dollar and the high price of gold. The page Set Ashwaq Um Al-Qanuniyya (Post Impact: 15%) highlighted that the dollar had reached 153,500 dinars and the price of a mithqal of gold had surpassed one million dinars. This economic pressure was also a topic on Diyala TV (Post Impact: 3%), which questioned whether the “rise in gold will be a reason for the decline and postponement of marriage in Diyala.” Similarly, Ahmed ALTaib (Post Impact: 2%) posted a video questioning if the dollar exchange rate would reach 160,000 dinars, reflecting widespread anxiety about inflation.

10. Ministries Announce Salary Distributions

Amid economic anxieties, several pages shared positive news regarding the distribution of government salaries. Diyala TV (Post Impact: 3%) reported a statement from the acting Minister of Education that the Ministry of Finance would begin distributing salaries for the ministry the following day. The page Iraq (Post Impact: 2%) also confirmed the news, specifying that the acting Minister of Education announced the “release of salaries in full tomorrow and without any deductions,” offering some relief to public sector employees.