Based on Miqrab AI\u2019s analysis of 489 Facebook posts trending in Iraq on February 23, 2026, the dominant narrative centers on escalating tensions with Kuwait and Gulf nations over maritime sovereignty. This was triggered by Iraq’s submission of new maritime border coordinates to the United Nations, a move that prompted strong condemnation from the Gulf Cooperation Council. Domestically, political maneuvering is a key theme, highlighted by Nouri al-Maliki’s definitive statement that he will not withdraw his candidacy for Prime Minister. Meanwhile, American influence remains a significant topic of discussion, with posts covering major preliminary oil agreements signed with the US firm Chevron, as well as unconfirmed reports of a US ultimatum demanding the formation of an Iraqi government free from Iranian influence.<\/p>\n
The most engaging story concerns the diplomatic fallout after the Iraqi government submitted new maritime coordinates and a map to the United Nations. Pages like Al-Khowa Al-Nadifa (The Clean Brotherhood)<\/a> (Post Impact: 100%<\/strong>) and Iraqi News Center<\/a> (Post Impact: 5%<\/strong>) reported that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has called on Iraq to withdraw its submission, claiming it infringes on Kuwait’s sovereignty. In response, Iraqi pages expressed strong nationalist sentiments. Set Ashwaq um Al-Qanounia (Ms. Ashwaq, Mother of the Law Student)<\/a> (Post Impact: 36%<\/strong>) argued that historical maps support Iraq’s claim and asserted, “The Khor is Iraqi and the waters are Iraqi.”<\/em> Other pages, including Dr. Mudhaffar Qasim Hussein<\/a> (Post Impact: 17%<\/strong>) and Baghdad<\/a> (Post Impact: 10%<\/strong>), noted that the Arab League and other Arab nations have sided with Kuwait, leading to a sense of regional isolation on this issue.<\/p>\n Former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s political future is a major topic, following his interview with Agence France-Presse (AFP). Multiple pages, including Al-Khowa Al-Nadifa (The Clean Brotherhood)<\/a> (Post Impact: 45%<\/strong>) and Baghdad<\/a> (Post Impact: 3%<\/strong>), focused on his declaration: “I will not withdraw from running for the post of Prime Minister of Iraq.”<\/em> His official page, Nouri AlMaliki<\/a> (Post Impact: 22%<\/strong>), published a detailed summary of the interview, where he also stated that any group wishing to join the next government must give up its arms and that the new government will be civilian, not military.<\/p>\n Significant economic news circulated regarding preliminary oil agreements between Iraqi oil companies and the American corporation Chevron. Al-Khowa Al-Nadifa (The Clean Brotherhood)<\/a> (Post Impact: 33%<\/strong>) reported on the signing, which was attended by US envoy Tom Barak, to develop fields in Dhi Qar and Salah al-Din. The official page of Prime Minister Mohamed Shia Al Sudani<\/a> (Post Impact: 16%<\/strong>) provided details, explaining that the agreements involve Basra, Dhi Qar, and North oil companies and will also cover the development of the Nasiriyah oil field. The page Al-Qasr Al-Hukoumi (The Government Palace)<\/a> (Post Impact: 4%<\/strong>) described the news as Chevron “coming to Iraq in force.”<\/p>\n Reports of a US ultimatum to Iraqi political leaders regarding government formation spread across several pages. Citing Al-Hadath sources, the page Rusly Al-Maliki<\/a> (Post Impact: 8%<\/strong>) claimed that Washington gave Baghdad a deadline until Friday to form a government not subject to Iranian influence, warning of “severe sanctions”<\/em> if a government close to Iran is formed. This was echoed by Ahmed AlHamdani<\/a> (Post Impact: 6%<\/strong>) and another post by Rusly Al-Maliki<\/a> (Post Impact: 5%<\/strong>), indicating a narrative of direct American pressure on the political process.<\/p>\n The political and religious activities of Muqtada al-Sadr remain a focus for his followers. His official page, The private office of His Eminence Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr<\/a> (Post Impact: 55%<\/strong>), shared a post he made on the social media platform “X,” generating high engagement. The same account also posted about religious activities organized by al-Sadr’s office for Ramadan, sharing details of prayers, Quran recitation, and a community meal at the Fatima al-Zahra Mosque in Najaf, as part of a month-long program directed by al-Sadr. A separate post from the same page The private office of His Eminence Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr<\/a> (Post Impact: 9%<\/strong>) further highlighted these Ramadan events.<\/p>\n Mohammed al-Halbousi, head of the Taqaddum Party, was featured in posts detailing his recent political engagements. His official page, Mohammad Al-Halbousi<\/a> (Post Impact: 17%<\/strong>), reported on his meeting with US Special Envoy Tom Barak. The discussion covered bilateral relations, economic cooperation, and counter-terrorism efforts, with the US side emphasizing the need for a government that meets the Iraqi people’s aspirations for stability and sovereignty. A second post from Mohammad Al-Halbousi<\/a> (Post Impact: 9%<\/strong>) documented his meeting with former Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi to discuss political developments and ongoing dialogues to resolve constitutional entitlements.<\/p>\n Iraqi security forces continue to conduct operations against remnants of ISIS. The official page of the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (Icts)<\/a> (Post Impact: 8%<\/strong>) announced the arrest of two terrorists in Babil and Kirkuk provinces. The statement also detailed a large-scale search operation in the Balkana mountain range in Salah al-Din province, which resulted in the destruction of eight terrorist hideouts and shelters. The Iraqi Special Operations Forces<\/a> (Post Impact: 3%<\/strong>) page shared a similar statement, reaffirming the continuation of pre-emptive operations to enhance security and stability.<\/p>\n Some pages featured harsh criticism of pro-Iran factions, referred to as “Wilaiyya” or followers of the Jurist. The page Dr. Ali Al-Qaisi<\/a> (Post Impact: 9%<\/strong>) posted a commentary accusing these groups of betraying the Iraqi army after the 1991 war, stating, “Your history is full of hypocrisy, treachery, and darkness.”<\/em> In a similar vein, Ahmed Al-Washah<\/a> (Post Impact: 3%<\/strong>) criticized individuals who insult others online while claiming to be defenders of Iraq’s honor, questioning their loyalty and describing their logic as strange and indicative of psychological issues.<\/p>\n The spirit of Ramadan was highlighted in several posts focusing on charity and community gatherings. A video shared by the Baghdad<\/a> (Post Impact: 8%<\/strong>) page showed an Iraqi mother stopping a street vendor at Iftar time to give him a tray of food. Another reel from Sharq Iraq – East of Iraq<\/a> (Post Impact: 4%<\/strong>) showed an Iftar banquet held by the Diyala governorate for sanitation engineers and workers in Baquba to honor their efforts. Similarly, philanthropist Hisham Al-Dhahabi<\/a> (Post Impact: 3%<\/strong>) shared a video of a Ramadan gathering with the children and elderly residents under his care, expressing gratitude for the communal atmosphere.<\/p>\n A social issue captured attention as pages reported on a young man in Mosul who attempted to set himself on fire after his marriage proposal was rejected by the girl’s family. A video shared by Yalla<\/a> (Post Impact: 4%<\/strong>) showed security forces intervening to prevent the man from harming himself. The page quoted a bystander saying the man was shouting “Just a minute and he yells go.”<\/em> The Iraqi News Center<\/a> (Post Impact: 2%<\/strong>) also reported on the incident, noting that Nineveh police successfully thwarted the suicide attempt.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Based on Miqrab AI\u2019s analysis of 489 Facebook posts trending in Iraq on February 23, 2026, the dominant narrative centers on escalating tensions with Kuwait and Gulf nations over maritime sovereignty. This was triggered by Iraq’s submission of new maritime border coordinates to the United Nations, a move that prompted strong condemnation from the Gulf […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":10010,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[70,73,78],"tags":[82,52,81,84],"class_list":["post-10009","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-facebook","category-iraq","category-daily","tag-daily-reports","tag-iraq-daily-social-media-trends","tag-iraq-public-opinion","tag-trending-facebook"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/miqrab.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10009","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/miqrab.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/miqrab.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miqrab.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miqrab.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10009"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/miqrab.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10009\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10011,"href":"https:\/\/miqrab.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10009\/revisions\/10011"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miqrab.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10010"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/miqrab.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10009"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miqrab.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10009"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miqrab.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10009"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}2. Nouri al-Maliki Insists on Premiership Candidacy<\/h2>\n
3. Iraq Signs Major Oil Deals with US Firm Chevron<\/h2>\n
4. US Allegedly Demands Iran-Free Government<\/h2>\n
5. Muqtada al-Sadr Engages Followers on X and During Ramadan<\/h2>\n
6. Al-Halbousi Holds High-Level Political Meetings<\/h2>\n
7. Security Forces Continue Counter-Terrorism Operations<\/h2>\n
8. Sharp Criticism Directed at Pro-Iran Factions<\/h2>\n
9. Pages Highlight Ramadan’s Spirit of Community and Charity<\/h2>\n
10. Man’s Attempted Suicide in Mosul Over Marriage Rejection<\/h2>\n