Based on an analysis of 819 X \/ Twitter posts trending on January 9, 2026, Miqrab AI found that the online conversation in Iraq is overwhelmingly dominated by the ongoing protests across Iran. Iraqi social media is sharply divided between accounts celebrating the demonstrations as a popular revolution against the clerical regime and those defending the Iranian government, portraying the unrest as a limited, foreign-instigated conspiracy. Pro-regime accounts emphasize the strength of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and highlight counter-demonstrations in support of the state. Other significant topics include the political maneuvering of Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who reactivated a branch of his Saraya al-Salam militia, analysis of the conflict in Aleppo, Syria, and commentary on shifting geopolitical alliances in the Middle East, particularly the growing tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE.<\/p>\n
The most dominant story on Iraqi X \/ Twitter is the wave of protests across Iran, which many accounts describe as a revolution. Accounts like Rusly Al-Maliki<\/a> (Post Impact: 21%<\/strong>), Omar Abd Al-Sattar Mahmoud<\/a> (Post Impact: 22%<\/strong>), and Ahmad Al-Wishah<\/a> (Post Impact: 11%<\/strong>) shared numerous videos showing demonstrators in cities like Tehran, Mashhad, and Khuzestan. These posts depict protesters chanting anti-regime slogans, burning pictures of Iranian leaders, removing state symbols, and clashing with security forces. Rusly Al-Maliki<\/a> (Post Impact: 24%<\/strong>) also reported the burning of the shrine of Muhammad ibn Musa al-Kadhim in Khuzestan. Many users, such as _. suhair Al_jumaili<\/a> (Post Impact: 13%<\/strong>), expressed hope for the regime’s downfall, stating, “We are witnessing the end of the era of the rotten Iranian turbans.”<\/em> The hashtag #IranRevolution2026 was widely used to frame the events as a historic turning point.<\/p>\n In direct opposition to the anti-regime narrative, several influential accounts defended the Iranian government and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Asaad Al-basri<\/a> (Post Impact: 57%<\/strong>) claimed that pro-government crowds were larger than the protest groups, suggesting the protests were limited and amplified by “American, European, and Israeli”<\/em> media. Similarly, Wasan Al-Sheikhli<\/a> (Post Impact: 25%<\/strong>) and Dr. Hussein Al-Safi<\/a> (Post Impact: 17%<\/strong>) shared videos of pro-state demonstrations and praised Khamenei’s leadership, with Al-Sheikhli quoting an American who allegedly said Khamenei “demolishes everything we plan”<\/em> with just a few words. Haider<\/a> (Post Impact: 13%<\/strong>) quoted the Supreme Leader accusing some rioters of trying to please the US president and vowing that the Islamic Republic “will not tolerate mercenaries who work for foreigners.”<\/em><\/p>\n Amid the regional turmoil, cleric Muqtada al-Sadr garnered significant attention with a high-impact post containing only an image. While Muqtada al-Sadr<\/a> (Post Impact: 100%<\/strong>) did not provide text, other accounts linked his post to his recent decision to end the freeze on his Saraya al-Salam (Peace Companies) militia in Basra and Kut. Shaho Al-Qaradaghi<\/a> (Post Impact: 12%<\/strong>) reported on the announcement, noting it came after recent battles in Maysan between Saraya al-Salam and Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq and was met with chants of “No, no to America, no, no to Israel.”<\/em> Mohamed Almaroof<\/a> (Post Impact: 7%<\/strong>) analyzed the move as a sign that Iran is activating its regional proxies, including Sadrist forces, to prepare for a new phase of regional suppression as it faces internal challenges.<\/p>\n Qais Khazali, the leader of the Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq militia, also published a post with very high engagement that contained only an image and no text. The post from Qais Khazali<\/a> (Post Impact: 51%<\/strong>) was published as protests escalated in Iran, a country his group is closely aligned with. While the image itself was not explicitly political, its timing and Khazali’s prominent role as a key pro-Iran figure in Iraq led to it being widely viewed and shared within the context of the ongoing regional events, likely interpreted by his followers as a statement of steadfastness.<\/p>\n Politician and commentator Faiq Al-Sheikh Ali offered unsolicited advice to Iran amid the current turmoil, urging the country to seize the opportunity to attack Israel. In his post, Faiq Al-Sheikh Ali<\/a> (Post Impact: 46%<\/strong>) argued that Iran should not repeat the mistakes of Gamal Abdel Nasser or Saddam Hussein, who he says hesitated and ultimately saw their regimes fall. He concluded with a stark message to Iran’s leaders: “Strike Israel, as in either case you will eat shit!”<\/em> suggesting they face a dire outcome regardless of their actions and should therefore take decisive military action against their primary adversary.<\/p>\n The military situation in Aleppo, Syria, was another focus of discussion, with commentators highlighting attacks by Turkish-backed factions on Kurdish neighborhoods. Essam Hussein<\/a> (Post Impact: 24%<\/strong>) detailed what he described as a Turkish-ordered operation by followers of al-Julani to carry out “criminal operations” in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods. He warned of potential massacres, displacement, and ethnic cleansing against the Kurdish population. Similarly, Sufian Al-Samarrai<\/a> (Post Impact: 13%<\/strong>) praised the resilience of a female Kurdish fighter, stating her dirty boot “is more honorable than the masters and beliefs of al-Julani,”<\/em> and condemning Islamist factions for their actions.<\/p>\n Analyst Liqaa Maki provided commentary on the potential role of the United States in the Iranian protests, suggesting it may be the largest American intervention in Iran’s internal affairs since the fall of the Shah. In two separate posts, Liqaa Maki<\/a> (Post Impact: 19%<\/strong>) and Liqaa Maki<\/a> (Post Impact: 9%<\/strong>) argued that Washington’s goal may not be a complete regime collapse, which could cause regional chaos, but rather to foster a new leadership from within the system that would be more aligned with US interests. However, he cautioned that this strategy is risky and could lead to an armed internal conflict or force the US into a direct intervention if the situation escalates beyond control.<\/p>\n Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments on the Iran protests were widely reported by Iraqi accounts. Raad Hashim<\/a> (Post Impact: 9%<\/strong>), citing Fox News, quoted Trump as saying, “I am following the situation in Iran closely, and we will strike the regime hard if it harms the demonstrators.”<\/em> Rusly Al-Maliki<\/a> (Post Impact: 9%<\/strong>) shared another statement from Trump claiming that Iran’s second-largest city is under the control of protesters and regime forces are leaving. These statements were shared as evidence of high-level international pressure on the Iranian government in response to its handling of the protests.<\/p>\n A post by Othman Al-Mukhtar<\/a> (Post Impact: 19%<\/strong>) accused Fehman Huseyin, also known as Bahoz Erdal, of being the de facto leader of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), claiming that Mazloum Abdi is merely a figurehead. The post identified Erdal as a prominent leader of the PKK and accused him of being involved in the “genocidal crime” against the Juhaish tribe west of Mosul in 2016. Al-Mukhtar also alleged that Erdal runs active smuggling networks, is a close friend of Bafel Talabani, and possesses an Iraqi passport obtained through the Sulaymaniyah governorate’s passport office.<\/p>\n Journalist Zaid Benjamin shared detailed reports on the escalating tensions between regional allies Saudi Arabia and the UAE. One post by Zaid Benjamin<\/a> (Post Impact: 17%<\/strong>), citing the Financial Times, revealed that the UAE has restricted funding for its citizens to study at UK universities, linking the decision to the UK’s refusal to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. In another post, Zaid Benjamin<\/a> (Post Impact: 6%<\/strong>) translated a Foreign Policy article detailing how the Saudi-UAE rivalry extends beyond Yemen to conflicts in Sudan and Libya, and reflects a major realignment of regional power dynamics, particularly concerning relations with Israel and Iran.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Based on an analysis of 819 X \/ Twitter posts trending on January 9, 2026, Miqrab AI found that the online conversation in Iraq is overwhelmingly dominated by the ongoing protests across Iran. Iraqi social media is sharply divided between accounts celebrating the demonstrations as a popular revolution against the clerical regime and those defending […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7962,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[72,73,78],"tags":[82,52,81,83],"class_list":["post-7961","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-twitter-x","category-iraq","category-daily","tag-daily-reports","tag-iraq-daily-social-media-trends","tag-iraq-public-opinion","tag-trending-x-twitter"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/miqrab.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7961","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=7961"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/miqrab.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7961\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7963,"href":"https:\/\/miqrab.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7961\/revisions\/7963"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miqrab.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7962"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/miqrab.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7961"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miqrab.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7961"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miqrab.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7961"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}2. Pro-Regime Defense and Accusations of Foreign Conspiracy<\/h2>\n
3. Muqtada al-Sadr Unfreezes Saraya al-Salam Militia<\/h2>\n
4. Qais Khazali’s High-Impact Post Amid Iran Unrest<\/h2>\n
5. Faiq Al-Sheikh Ali Urges Iran to Strike Israel<\/h2>\n
6. Conflict in Aleppo and Condemnation of Attacks on Kurds<\/h2>\n
7. Analysis of US Role in Iranian Unrest<\/h2>\n
8. Trump’s Threats Against Iranian Regime<\/h2>\n
9. Allegations Against Kurdish Leader Bahoz Erdal<\/h2>\n
10. Growing Tensions Between Saudi Arabia and the UAE<\/h2>\n