Miqrab AI’s analysis of 312 Facebook posts trending in Iraq on September 18, 2026, reveals a focus on security, political rhetoric, and law enforcement. The most engaged-with topics included statements from Prime Minister’s Advisor Qassim al-Araji regarding the protection of holy sites in Syria and domestic weapon control policies. Influential religious-political figure Muqtada al-Sadr’s Friday sermon also garnered significant attention. Security concerns were prominent, with multiple pages reporting on renewed ISIS activity, specifically the targeting of electricity infrastructure. Other key narratives involved the outcomes of corruption cases, the arrest of individuals for public assault, and official government announcements concerning national sovereignty over Iraqi airspace.

Today’s Top 10 Facebook Trends in Iraq:

1. Qassim al-Araji on Syria and Domestic Weapon Control

Multiple Facebook pages reported on statements made by Qassim al-Araji, the Prime Minister’s National Security Advisor. Al-Khawa Al-Nadhifa (Post Impact: 47%) and Khabar Ajel (Post Impact: 1%) quoted al-Araji as saying the Syrian government protects the Sayyida Zainab shrine and other holy sites, adding, “we may defend [the Syrian] regime if it asks for our help and is threatened by extremists.” Separately, the page Baghdad (Post Impact: 5%) highlighted al-Araji’s domestic policy stance, quoting him as saying that after the deadline for the government’s weapon registration program, “anyone who has a weapon… will be treated as a terrorist.” These posts frame al-Araji as taking a firm stance on both regional security and the state’s monopoly on arms within Iraq.

2. Muqtada al-Sadr Delivers Friday Sermon

The Friday sermon penned by influential Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr was a significant topic of discussion. The Private Office of His Eminence Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr (Post Impact: 27%) published the full text of the sermon, which was delivered on his behalf. While the specific contents of the sermon were not detailed in the posts, its distribution by his official office indicates its importance to his followers. In a related post, Baghdad Network (Post Impact: 1%) mentioned that al-Sadr had also directed a message to merchants in Najaf, suggesting the sermon may have contained socio-economic directives alongside its political and religious messages.

3. ISIS Reportedly Attacks Power Towers in Anbar and Salah al-Din

Security concerns were raised across several pages regarding renewed attacks on national infrastructure, attributed to ISIS. Maher Mouhi::The Voice of the Nation’s Protectors (Post Impact: 12%) and Muntadhar al-Zaidi (Post Impact: 1%) reported that security forces thwarted an ISIS attempt to target a power tower in Anbar, forcing the attackers to flee. Similarly, Rusly Al-Maliki (Post Impact: 11%) and Min Baghdad (Post Impact: 2%) covered the targeting of two electrical towers on the Baiji-Haditha road. Rusly Al-Maliki commented that these were “shenanigans before September 30,” alluding to a significant upcoming deadline, which Dr. Yahya Alkubisi (Post Impact: 3%) linked to efforts to justify keeping militia weapons.

4. Mustafa Sanad Shares Victory in Friendly Football Match

A highly engaged post came from public figure Mustafa Sanad, who shared a personal update about a football match. In his video reel, Mustafa Sanad – Mustafa Sanad (Post Impact: 100%) celebrated a 3-2 victory for his team against employees from the Ministry of Communications in Sulaymaniyah. Sanad is seen enjoying the moment with his teammates and jokingly wrote, “Without bias or courtesy 🙂.” The post, while not a news story, garnered the highest engagement among the analyzed posts, showing significant interest in the personal activities of Iraqi public figures.

5. Haider Ghazi Seeks Public Opinion on Personal Lawsuit

The media personality Haider Khalaf Ghazi used his Facebook page to publicly discuss a personal legal dispute and ask his followers for advice. In one post, Haider Khalaf Ghazi (Post Impact: 19%) explained that a poet, whom he had previously sued and then forgiven for insulting his late father, had repeated the offense. Ghazi detailed that five months prior, he had dropped the charges after the individual apologized and pledged not to repeat the insult. Faced with renewed defamation, he posed a direct question to his audience: “In your opinion… should I forgive him again?” A later video post from the same page simply captioned, “Okay, haji, your apology is accepted,” suggests a resolution was reached.

6. Ayatollah Sistani Pardons Man Who Burned His Picture

A story of clemency from Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani received positive attention. According to Mohammad Nasser Khalif Mohammad Nasser Khalif (Post Impact: 13%), a young man who had been arrested for burning a picture of the religious leader was ordered to be released at al-Sistani’s personal request. The post celebrated this act as a reflection of the Marja’iyya’s generosity and courage. The page Tara’ef al-Alam bi ‘Uyun ‘Iraqiyya (Post Impact: 1%) provided more context, stating that Ayatollah al-Sistani had directly addressed a Baghdad court, requesting that the man be freed and that no legal action be taken against him for the incident.

7. Justice for Traffic Officer After MP Bahaa al-Nuri’s Conviction

The recent conviction of MP Bahaa al-Nuri for corruption prompted pages to recall a past incident involving his abuse of power. Tele Iraq (Post Impact: 8%) revisited the story of traffic officer “Muhannad,” who was transferred from his post two years ago after issuing a ticket to blogger Shahd al-Taie, an associate of al-Nuri. The post celebrated the officer’s integrity and contrasted it with al-Nuri’s fate, who was sentenced to seven years in prison and ordered to return 40 billion dinars. The page concluded, “The honorable position remains, but influence is fleeting… and the world turns.” Similarly, Ahmed Al-Washah (Post Impact: 4%) posted a video mocking al-Nuri, noting that he came from a “political and mujahideen family” yet stole billions.

8. Arrest Made in Wasit for Assault on Mentally Ill Man

Iraqi law enforcement’s response to a viral video of an assault drew attention from official and public pages. The Iraqi Ministry of Interior (Post Impact: 7%) and Baghdad Anti-Crime Directorate (Post Impact: 1%) officially announced that Wasit Police had arrested a suspect who was filmed assaulting a mentally ill person on a street in the al-Nu’maniyah district. The arrest was made after a specialized team identified the perpetrator from the widely circulated video. The page Ammar Al-Halfi (Post Impact: 6%) had shared the video of the assault, condemning the attacker as a “lowlife with no honor” and expressing hope that security forces in Wasit would make an example of him.

9. Trump’s Statements on Media, Iran, and Greenland Shared

Statements by former U.S. President Donald Trump were covered by several Iraqi news pages. Al-Khawa Al-Nadhifa (Post Impact: 8%) reported that Trump had banned CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House, accusing them of spreading “fake news.” The same page also posted about Trump’s announcement of a deal with Denmark and Greenland that would give the U.S. security control over the territory at no cost. Meanwhile, Min Baghdad (Post Impact: 3%) highlighted Trump’s foreign policy stance towards Iran, quoting him as saying the choice is between “a large-scale bombing campaign against Iran or ending the war and signing a peace agreement!”

10. Ministry Ends Restricted Air Zones, Asserts Sovereignty

The Iraqi Ministry of Transport announced a major step in asserting national sovereignty over its airspace. In multiple posts, including a formal بيان (statement) and a video from a press conference, the Iraqi Ministry of Transport (Post Impact: 2%) declared the end of restricted military air zones in Iraq. The ministry stated that this was a “purely national decision” achieved in coordination with the Prime Minister’s office and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. This development, the result of over ten years of work, means that Iraq’s entire airspace is now under its sovereign control, which is expected to improve the flexibility and efficiency of civil aviation. The announcement was timed to coincide with Iraq’s upcoming National Sovereignty Day celebrations.