Based on an analysis of 108 X / Twitter posts trending on March 18, 2026, Miqrab AI found that conversations in Iraq were dominated by two starkly contrasting themes: major international entertainment news and a severe escalation in regional military conflict. The most engaging topic by a significant margin was the upcoming comeback of the K-pop group BTS, with major brands and fan accounts driving excitement. However, a much larger volume of posts focused on a burgeoning conflict between Iran and Gulf states, with numerous accounts sharing unverified videos and claims of Iranian missile strikes on Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. This narrative was coupled with discussions on the direct consequences for Iraq, such as widespread power outages due to the cessation of Iranian gas supplies, and reports of high-level assassinations of both Iranian and Iraqi militia figures.

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

1. Excitement Builds for BTS Comeback on Netflix

The most engaging topic on X was the highly anticipated comeback of the K-pop group BTS. The official netflix⁷ (Post Impact: 100%) account announced a worldwide exclusive “BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE” event scheduled for March 21. This was amplified by major outlets like billboard (Post Impact: 34%), which reported the group would also have back-to-back appearances on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’. Fan accounts such as jin files (Post Impact: 48%) shared new promotional photos from Billboard. Meanwhile, BTS Charts News (Post Impact: 13%) highlighted the economic impact of the event, noting that Incheon Airport in South Korea was “packed” with international fans, causing significant delays.

2. Iran Reportedly Launches Attacks on Gulf States

A dominant narrative across numerous accounts involved claims of significant military escalation, with Iran reportedly attacking targets in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations. The account Hayder (Post Impact: 2%) posted multiple videos allegedly showing explosions and fires in Riyadh, claiming they were the result of Iranian missile strikes on Saudi gas fields and that Saudi air defenses were attempting to intercept them. Other accounts like Wesam Aziz (Post Impact: 1%) and Ahmed Abdul Sada (Post Impact: 0%) shared similar videos with celebratory captions, referring to the missiles as “blessed” and praising the strikes. Hayder (Post Impact: 1%) also circulated an alleged statement from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warning several petrochemical and gas facilities in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar to evacuate ahead of being targeted.

3. Iranian Gas Cut Causes Power Outages in Iraq

The regional conflict had immediate and direct consequences for Iraq, as multiple users reported a complete halt in Iranian gas supplies, leading to severe electricity shortages. Rusly Al-Maliki (Post Impact: 0%) announced the full stop of gas flow and later cited the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity in a separate post, stating that Iraq lost 3,200 megawatts of power in the first hour. Ali Farhan (Post Impact: 0%) connected this to Israeli and US strikes on Iranian gas facilities, criticizing how Iraq has become a “hostage to the crises of others.” This sentiment was echoed by Zina Al Saab (Post Impact: 0%), who condemned Iraqi politicians for failing to develop local resources and relying on Iran, leaving Iraqis “like dogs without electricity.”

4. Assassinations of Militia and Iranian Leaders Reported

Alongside news of military strikes, several accounts reported on the targeted killings of high-ranking Iranian and Iraqi militia figures. Rusly Al-Maliki (Post Impact: 1%), citing a security source in Baghdad, claimed that Ahmed Mohsen Faraj al-Hamidawi, Secretary-General of Kata’ib Hezbollah, and Hashem Finyan Rahim al-Saraji, Secretary-General of Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, were assassinated. The same source reportedly confirmed the deaths of other armed group leaders and foreign advisors in recent bombings. Separately, accounts like David Yassin (Post Impact: 0%) and Aayad Al Twfan (Post Impact: 0%) reported that Iran’s Minister of Intelligence, Ismail Khatib, had been killed in an airstrike, with the latter attributing the confirmation to the Israeli Minister of Defense.

5. Elon Musk Announces “Grok Imagine”

Amid the political and military news, a post from Elon Musk (Post Impact: 69%) gained significant traction. The post was a simple announcement of a new feature or product named “Grok Imagine,” accompanied by a link and a short video. The high engagement indicates strong interest in developments related to Musk’s AI initiatives on the X platform.

6. Conspiracy Theory About Netanyahu Deepfake Video

A high-impact conspiracy theory circulated by the account Mr. Whale (Post Impact: 68%) alleged that a recent video of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was a digitally altered deepfake. The account claimed that while people were focused on analyzing the fingers in the video for AI inconsistencies, they missed a more telling detail in the ears. The post pointed to what it described as an anomaly, stating, “I’ve never seen someone with two ear canals before,” suggesting the video was artificially generated.

7. Indian PM Modi Discusses Hormuz with Kuwait

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Post Impact: 38%) posted in Arabic about a phone call with Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, the Crown Prince of Kuwait. Modi stated they exchanged views on the situation in West Asia, expressed shared concern over recent developments, and reaffirmed India’s condemnation of attacks on Kuwait’s sovereignty. Crucially, he emphasized that “ensuring freedom and safety of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz remains a top priority.” This ties into a post from the parody account Iran Army (Post Impact: 9%) which claimed Iran had announced only four countries, including India, would be allowed to use the strait.

8. Thai Artists Release Duo Cover Song

In non-political news, Thai singers promoted a new musical release. The accounts 2Tee (Post Impact: 23%) and porsuppakarn (Post Impact: 17%) both shared a promotional image for a cover of the song “DUANG QIN”. Porsuppakarn’s post celebrated it as “our first ever cover as a duo” and encouraged followers to leave comments. The posts were accompanied by the hashtag #สิ่งที่แสนดีByตี๋ตี๋ป๋อ, indicating a coordinated promotional effort.

9. Calls for the Overthrow of the Iranian Regime

As news of regional conflict spread, some Iraqi commentators used the opportunity to voice strong opposition to the Iranian government. Faiq Al-Sheikh Ali (Post Impact: 3%) posted a virulent message addressed to “Iranian officials, you respected donkeys!” demanding they surrender before being killed by international forces, and stating, “Iran must be destroyed.” Similarly, Sheikh Thaer Al-Bayati (Post Impact: 1%) declared that the region had entered a “decisive phase” and that “Iranian influence is being uprooted” in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen, calling it the “end of a project.”

10. Qatar Reportedly Expels Iranian Officials

As diplomatic tensions flared across the region, multiple accounts reported that Qatar took action against Iranian representatives. Rusly Al-Maliki (Post Impact: 0%) and Salim Al-Jumaili (Post Impact: 0%) both posted that Qatar had informed Iran’s military and security attachés that they were no longer welcome and had 24 hours to leave the country. Al-Jumaili noted this was a significant development, highlighting the previously close level of military and security cooperation between the two nations.