Based on 560 X / Twitter posts analyzed by Miqrab AI on September 30, 2026, the online discourse in Iraq was dominated by the withdrawal of the US-led international coalition forces and the official declaration of “Sovereignty Day.” This event prompted a wave of reactions from major political and clerical figures, with Sadrist Movement leader Muqtada al-Sadr announcing the dissolution of his militia and calling for all weapons to be under state control. While the government and its supporters celebrated the withdrawal as a historic achievement, armed factions simultaneously asserted they would not surrender their arms, raising questions about the state’s monopoly on force. Concurrently, a significant secondary narrative emerged detailing a foiled terrorist attack on a FlyDubai flight with Israeli passengers, which made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. Other key topics included concerns from the Kurdistan Region about future security, criticism over the presence of Iranian flags at national celebrations, and commentary on the coalition commander’s proverbial farewell message.

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

1. “Sovereignty Day” Declared as Coalition Forces Withdraw

Top political and religious figures celebrated the withdrawal of international coalition forces, marking the day as “Sovereignty Day.” Muqtada al-Sayyid Muhammad al-Sadr (Post Impact: 100%) posted a graphic commemorating the occasion. Similarly, Qais al-Khazali (Post Impact: 37%) shared an image with the hashtag #Sovereignty_Day. The Prime Minister’s Media Office (Post Impact: 2%) detailed the official ceremony, quoting Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaydi’s declaration of the mission’s end and his assertion that Iraq now reaps the fruits of its sacrifices. Accounts like Haider (Post Impact: 5%) shared videos of the final withdrawal, stating, “Starting today: Iraq without foreign forces.”

2. Muqtada al-Sadr Dissolves Militia, Demands Reforms

In a highly impactful statement marking the coalition’s withdrawal, Sadrist Movement leader Muqtada al-Sadr announced major decisions. As reported by Ali Farhan ali farhan (Post Impact: 3%) and Haider (Post Impact: 2%), al-Sadr’s statement, posted on his official account Muqtada al-Sayyid Muhammad al-Sadr (Post Impact: 100%), called for the immediate dissolution of his militia, “Liwa al-Youm al-Maw’ud” (Promised Day Brigade), and the transformation of the Mahdi Army into a service organization. He stressed that the end of the occupation necessitates “confining weapons to the hands of the state” and urged all current political leaders to “abandon political work immediately” to allow new faces to combat corruption.

3. Foiled Terror Attack on FlyDubai Flight

A major developing story focused on an alleged foiled terrorist attack aboard a FlyDubai flight, which made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Sufian al-Samarrai (Post Impact: 19%) reported extensively on the incident, claiming that the Omani co-pilot stabbed the Indian pilot and attempted to crash the plane into Israel in a “cowardly terrorist operation.” According to his posts, Israeli passengers helped subdue the attacker. He praised the Indian pilot as a hero and lauded Saudi Arabia’s handling of the aftermath, sharing videos of the Israeli passengers safe in Tabuk. Omar Abdul Sattar Mahmoud (Post Impact: 3%) added to this narrative by citing Israeli media, which claimed intelligence had been received about an Iranian plan to hijack or down a passenger plane.

4. Armed Factions Vow to Keep Their Weapons

Despite celebrating the coalition’s withdrawal, armed factions publicly declared their intention to retain their weapons. Shaho Al-Qaradaghi (Post Impact: 6%) shared a graphic quoting the factions telling the Prime Minister: “Thank you for expelling the Americans, but we will not hand over our weapons.” Ali Farhan ali farhan (Post Impact: 4%) reported a statement from the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” asserting that their weapons will remain in their fighters’ hands and that they are “not bound by any timing or agreement… by any governmental or political party.” This sentiment was echoed in posts by Haider (Post Impact: 3%), who quoted a Kata’ib Hezbollah spokesman making a similar declaration during the Sovereignty Day celebration.

5. Coalition Commander’s Proverbial Parting Words

The outgoing International Coalition commander’s farewell remarks at the withdrawal ceremony drew significant attention. Haider (Post Impact: 11%) shared a video of the commander advising Iraq to deal with threats seriously by using an Iraqi proverb: “Prepare for the jackal with a lion’s belt.” The use of this specific proverb was analyzed by other accounts. Sheikh Thair al-Bayati (Post Impact: 7%) commented that the attendees’ laughter suggested the message was heard by their ears but not their minds, questioning if its meaning would only be understood when it becomes a reality. Abu Maryam (Post Impact: 3%) also shared the clip, highlighting the direct address to Prime Minister al-Zaydi.

6. Kurdistan Region Voices Post-Withdrawal Security Concerns

Leaders in the Kurdistan Region expressed apprehension following the departure of coalition forces. Haider (Post Impact: 3%) quoted Masoud Barzani warning any party thinking of harming the region that the Peshmerga forces are sufficient to thwart any threat. In another post, Haider (Post Impact: 7%) reported that Barzani stated Erbil is an Iraqi city like Baghdad, as is Kirkuk. Shaho Al-Qaradaghi (Post Impact: 4%) claimed that militias and their media platforms are interpreting the American withdrawal as an “opportunity to eliminate the Kurdistan Region,” aiming to destroy its model of development. The official account of the Kurdistan Regional Government (Post Impact: 2%) also shared Prime Minister Masrour Barzani’s remarks on the end of the coalition mission.

7. Iranian Flags at Celebrations Spark Sovereignty Debate

The presence of foreign flags, particularly Iranian ones, at events celebrating Iraq’s “Sovereignty Day” sparked criticism and debate online. Ali Farhan ali farhan (Post Impact: 9%) directly addressed supporters of Iran-backed groups, stating, “If you want to celebrate your country’s sovereignty day, celebrate with your country’s flag, because raising foreign flags… contradicts the meaning of sovereignty!” This sentiment was shared by Raad Hashim (Post Impact: 3%), who posted a video of Iranian flags at a celebration and commented, “Sovereignty Day opens with ‘Iranian flags’!!” Omar Abdul Sattar Mahmoud (Post Impact: 2%) also shared a similar video with the simple caption, “Sovereignty Day ‘Iranian flag’.”

8. Cabinet Approves New Popular Mobilization Forces Law

Amid the events of Sovereignty Day, the Iraqi Council of Ministers approved a new draft law for the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). Ammar Al-Hakim (Post Impact: 4%) praised the decision, calling it an “important and necessary step to develop the PMF and guarantee the rights of its members and martyrs.” He urged the Iraqi Parliament to proceed with voting on the law, noting that the PMF is an important part of the national defense system. Dr. Hussein al-Safi (Post Impact: 4%) listed the approval of the PMF law as one of several recent achievements by Prime Minister al-Zaydi, alongside the expulsion of American forces.

9. Politicians Exchange Congratulations on Sovereignty Day

Several prominent political leaders issued statements and exchanged congratulations to mark Sovereignty Day. Ammar Al-Hakim (Post Impact: 4%) announced he had spoken with Hadi al-Amiri, Secretary-General of the Badr Organization, to exchange congratulations, emphasizing that the day represents an “Iraqi recovery message” and a starting point to solve the problem of unregulated weapons. He also stressed the importance of internal cohesion to face upcoming challenges. Similarly, Yasser Al-Maliki (Post Impact: 4%) described sovereignty as a “national achievement we are proud of” and a continuous process whose “essence is the independence of national decision-making.” Former Speaker Muhammad Al-Halbousi (Post Impact: 2%) also congratulated the Iraqi people and praised the government’s efforts, while asserting that complete sovereignty requires “confining weapons to the state.”

10. Donald Trump Comments on Iraqi Withdrawal

Former US President Donald Trump’s statement on the final withdrawal of American troops from Iraq was widely circulated. Haider (Post Impact: 2%) posted the full text of Trump’s announcement, where he declared it a “great day for America” and praised Iraq’s “fantastic new Prime Minister, Ali al-Zaydi.” Trump contrasted the organized departure from Iraq with the withdrawal from Afghanistan. Ali Farhan ali farhan (Post Impact: 3%) highlighted Trump’s comment: “We are leaving Iraq with a wonderful prime minister there.” Haider (Post Impact: 4%) also shared a video clip captioned “Celebrations at the White House after US President Donald Trump announced the departure from Iraq.”