Based on a Miqrab AI analysis of 525 X \/ Twitter posts trending on January 31, 2026, the primary online conversations in Iraq are dominated by escalating regional tensions, particularly the prospect of a US strike on Iran, and a contentious domestic political crisis surrounding the nomination of Nouri al-Maliki for prime minister. Key narratives include reports that Saudi Arabia is privately encouraging a US attack on Iran while publicly calling for restraint, and revelations from the “Epstein files” alleging regional plots connected to the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. Domestically, intense debate surrounds the Coordination Framework’s insistence on al-Maliki’s candidacy despite reported US opposition. Simultaneously, videos shared by an Iraqi militia showing an underground missile city are fueling fears of Iraq being drawn into a wider conflict.<\/p>\n
Newly revealed messages from the “Epstein files” are driving a major narrative about regional intrigue. According to a detailed post by ZaidBenjamin \u0632\u064a\u062f \u0628\u0646\u064a\u0627\u0645\u064a\u0646<\/a> (Post Impact: 82%<\/strong>), convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein speculated in October 2018 that the then-crown prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohammed bin Zayed, may have “entrapped”<\/em> Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Epstein’s messages suggest the incident was “bigger than just an isolated incident”<\/em> and part of a wider regional power struggle. Another post by ZaidBenjamin \u0632\u064a\u062f \u0628\u0646\u064a\u0627\u0645\u064a\u0646<\/a> (Post Impact: 37%<\/strong>) details a conversation between Epstein’s associate and Steve Bannon, where Bannon was urgently summoned by Mohammed bin Zayed just as the Khashoggi crisis was peaking. Meanwhile, Rusly Al-Maliki \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf6 \u0631\u0633\u0644\u064a \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0627\u0644\u0643\u064a<\/a> (Post Impact: 22%<\/strong>) questions the timing of this renewed focus on Epstein, suggesting it could be a precursor to a US strike on Iran, similar to events before a previous conflict.<\/p>\n The political future of former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is a top domestic issue, with accounts reporting that the Coordination Framework has decided to nominate him for premier, directly defying a message from US President Trump, as stated by Steven Nabil<\/a> (Post Impact: 70%<\/strong>). A widely circulated post by Nazar Haidar<\/a> (Post Impact: 53%<\/strong>) claims to reveal details of a tense meeting where the US Charg\u00e9 d’Affaires bluntly told al-Maliki, “Your time is up.”<\/em> According to this account, al-Maliki offered to withdraw in exchange for protection from sanctions but was rebuffed. In contrast, a statement from al-Maliki, shared by Haidar<\/a> (Post Impact: 22%<\/strong>), asserts that choosing Iraq’s leadership is a “national affair that must be respected.”<\/em> Other analysts like Ali Farhan ali farhan<\/a> (Post Impact: 30%<\/strong>) predict that while al-Maliki will be nominated, he will fail to secure enough votes in parliament, allowing the Framework to save face while ultimately choosing a US-accepted alternative.<\/p>\n A major story circulating, based on a report from Axios, alleges that Saudi Arabia’s public calls for de-escalation with Iran are contradicted by its private actions. Accounts like Rusly Al-Maliki \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf6 \u0631\u0633\u0644\u064a \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0627\u0644\u0643\u064a<\/a> (Post Impact: 56%<\/strong>) and ZaidBenjamin \u0632\u064a\u062f \u0628\u0646\u064a\u0627\u0645\u064a\u0646<\/a> (Post Impact: 43%<\/strong>) report that Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman told US officials in Washington that any American retreat from striking Iran would “lead to the strengthening of the Iranian regime in the region.”<\/em> This is framed as a significant policy reversal, as previous Saudi concerns were cited as a reason for President Trump to delay a strike. Najah Mohammed Ali<\/a> (Post Impact: 40%<\/strong>) states that information reaching Iran confirms Saudi Arabia is “accelerating towards striking Iran and inciting Trump to expedite it.”<\/em> These posts suggest Riyadh is playing a double game, fearing Iranian retaliation while secretly pushing for a US-led war.<\/p>\n An Iraqi militia identified as “Awliyaa Al-Dam” (Keepers of Blood) has released a video revealing what it calls an “underground missile city” located inside Iraq. The footage, shared by numerous accounts including Rusly Al-Maliki \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf6 \u0631\u0633\u0644\u064a \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0627\u0644\u0643\u064a<\/a> (Post Impact: 28%<\/strong>), Steven Nabil<\/a> (Post Impact: 24%<\/strong>), and Omar Abdul Sattar Mahmoud<\/a> (Post Impact: 24%<\/strong>), shows tunnels filled with rockets and missiles, with photos of Iranian leaders displayed alongside the Iraqi flag. Commentators view this as a direct challenge to the Iraqi state, described as a “state within a state,” and a clear message to the United States that these factions are prepared for war should Iran be attacked. The posts raise questions about the Iraqi government’s ability to control armed groups operating on its soil.<\/p>\n Multiple accounts are reporting a series of unconfirmed explosions in several cities across Iran, fueling speculation of preemptive attacks amid heightened tensions with the US. Bahaa khaleel Bahaa khaleel<\/a> (Post Impact: 29%<\/strong>) and Sufian Al Samarrai<\/a> (Post Impact: 22%<\/strong>) shared videos and reports of blasts in Qom, a significant religious center. Other posts from accounts like Omar Abdul Sattar Mahmoud<\/a> (Post Impact: 14%<\/strong>) listed numerous cities where explosions were allegedly heard, including Bandar Abbas, Ahvaz, and Tehran. The account Mujtahid Al Iraq<\/a> (Post Impact: 22%<\/strong>) went further, claiming that the commanders of the Iranian Army’s and IRGC’s navies were killed in a bombing in Bandar Abbas, though this remains unverified.<\/p>\n Amid escalating war rhetoric, there are signs of diplomatic movement from Iran. Rusly Al-Maliki \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf6 \u0631\u0633\u0644\u064a \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0627\u0644\u0643\u064a<\/a> (Post Impact: 48%<\/strong>) posted that Iranian official “Araghchi” stated, “We are ready to abandon the nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions.”<\/em> This statement is being interpreted as a significant potential concession and a “new chapter in the story.” Concurrently, Steven Nabil<\/a> (Post Impact: 17%<\/strong>) quoted another official, Larijani, as saying that despite the “artificial media war,” the structural arrangements for negotiations are progressing. However, Falah Al-Mashal<\/a> (Post Impact: 11%<\/strong>) expressed skepticism, questioning whether giving up the nuclear program and ballistic missiles would actually save the regime from a US-led project to overthrow it.<\/p>\n Reports from a key meeting of the Shia Coordination Framework confirm the coalition is doubling down on its choice for prime minister. Accounts like Steven Nabil<\/a> (Post Impact: 17%<\/strong>) and Hesham Ali<\/a> (Post Impact: 14%<\/strong>) stated that the Framework met and renewed its commitment to Nouri al-Maliki as its official candidate. A significant detail noted by several sources, including Rafid Jaboori<\/a> (Post Impact: 14%<\/strong>) and Haidar<\/a> (Post Impact: 9%<\/strong>), is the absence of Ammar al-Hakim, who reportedly sent a message urging the coalition to avoid a confrontation with President Trump. The group’s statement, shared by Haidar<\/a> (Post Impact: 10%<\/strong>), emphasized its rejection of any “external dictates.”<\/p>\n Amid rising tensions, some accounts are advocating for an aggressive Iranian military posture. The account Haidar<\/a> (Post Impact: 45%<\/strong>) posted a message advising Iran not to make the same mistake it claims Saddam Hussein made by hiding missiles and planes. Instead, it urges Iran to “not hesitate in using all the power you have towards the mentioned [Gulf] countries,”<\/em> adopting the motto, “Either we play or I’ll wreck the playground.”<\/em> Another post, shared by Najah Mohammed Ali<\/a> (Post Impact: 91%<\/strong>), praises the image of a “Shia jurist” sitting on a prayer rug and defying superpowers with the word “no” as the reality the world is fighting against. This rhetoric highlights a perspective that advocates for unyielding defiance and a willingness to escalate the conflict to neighboring states.<\/p>\n A domestic story concerning a smear campaign against a high-ranking officer is trending, highlighting the issue of disinformation. The Ministry of Interior officially honored Brigadier Ahmed Jawad after an investigation concluded that compromising images attributed to him were fabricated. The news was shared by accounts like Haidar<\/a> (Post Impact: 35%<\/strong>). In a detailed analysis, Prof. Dr. Ghalib Al-Da’mi<\/a> (Post Impact: 9%<\/strong>), an expert in “Deepfake” technology, affirmed that the photos were clearly fake and criticized the ministry’s initial reaction of detaining the officer before a technical verification. He also questioned the ethics of the media outlet that first publicized the story, arguing that promoting such fabrications harms society.<\/p>\n Tensions between Gulf allies Saudi Arabia and the UAE are reportedly having tangible consequences for businesses and online speech. Citing the Financial Times, ZaidBenjamin \u0632\u064a\u062f \u0628\u0646\u064a\u0627\u0645\u064a\u0646<\/a> (Post Impact: 8%<\/strong>) relays that some companies based in the UAE are facing widespread rejection of visa applications for entry into Saudi Arabia. The report also notes that prominent Emirati social media users have received informal government warnings to “refrain from responding to growing Saudi criticism online,”<\/em> indicating an official effort by the UAE to de-escalate the public spat. A separate post by ZaidBenjamin \u0632\u064a\u062f \u0628\u0646\u064a\u0627\u0645\u064a\u0646<\/a> (Post Impact: 28%<\/strong>) reinforces these points, suggesting a deliberate campaign to pressure businesses to relocate their regional headquarters to Riyadh.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Based on a Miqrab AI analysis of 525 X \/ Twitter posts trending on January 31, 2026, the primary online conversations in Iraq are dominated by escalating regional tensions, particularly the prospect of a US strike on Iran, and a contentious domestic political crisis surrounding the nomination of Nouri al-Maliki for prime minister. Key narratives […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9141,"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-9140","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\/9140","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=9140"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/miqrab.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9140\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9142,"href":"https:\/\/miqrab.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9140\/revisions\/9142"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miqrab.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9141"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/miqrab.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9140"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miqrab.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9140"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miqrab.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9140"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}2. Al-Maliki’s PM Candidacy Faces US Opposition<\/h2>\n
3. Saudi Arabia Reportedly Pushing for US Strike on Iran<\/h2>\n
4. Iraqi Militia Reveals Underground Missile Base<\/h2>\n
5. Unconfirmed Reports of Explosions Across Iran<\/h2>\n
6. Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Program Concessions<\/h2>\n
7. Coordination Framework Insists on Maliki Nomination<\/h2>\n
8. Pro-Iran Accounts Urge “All-Out” War Stance<\/h2>\n
9. Interior Ministry Officer Honored After Smear Campaign<\/h2>\n
10. Saudi-UAE Rift Affects Business and Online Discourse<\/h2>\n