Based on an analysis of (473) trending X \/ Twitter posts on February 19, 2025, Miqrab AI identified several key narratives dominating online discourse in Iraq. The most significant development was Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s directive to his followers to update their voter registration records, signaling a potential return to the political arena and sparking widespread discussion about the next elections. A parallel theme contrasted Saudi Arabia’s diplomatic achievements, particularly hosting US-Russia talks, with the perceived failures and infighting of Iraq’s political class. Other major topics included debates over the history of new Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, criticism of post-2003 governance failures, sharp sectarian commentary, and regional political movements, including the Emir of Qatar’s visit to Iran.<\/p>\n
The most impactful story of the day originated from cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who posted a handwritten note urging his followers to update their voter registration. In the note shared by his official account Muqtada Sayyid Muhammad Al-Sadr<\/a> (Post Impact: 100%)<\/strong>, he described the action as “a necessary matter… rather it is beneficial for you whether you enter the elections or boycott them.”<\/em> This directive, interpreted as a precursor to the Sadrist Movement’s return to electoral politics, was widely analyzed. Ghaith Al-Tamimi<\/a> (Post Impact: 7%)<\/strong> commented sarcastically on al-Sadr’s changing “moods,” while Rafid Jaboori<\/a> (Post Impact: 3%)<\/strong> noted that while participation isn’t confirmed, it’s a matter of time, framing it in the context of Iran’s desire to unify the Shiite political front in Iraq. Accounts like Safaa Al-Asadi<\/a> (Post Impact: 4%)<\/strong> remarked on how the Sadrist movement “terrifies the corrupt” with any step it takes.<\/p>\n A prominent narrative emerged comparing Saudi Arabia’s diplomatic prowess with the perceived dysfunction of Iraqi politics. Rusly Al-Maliki<\/a> (Post Impact: 42%)<\/strong> praised Saudi Arabia for bringing the “two most powerful poles in the world” together to discuss ending the Ukraine war, contrasting it with Iraqi leaders like Nouri al-Maliki discussing the Ba’ath party and Qais Khazali boasting about confronting Trump. Similarly, Dr. Qusay Shafiq<\/a> (Post Impact: 18%)<\/strong> highlighted the Saudi Crown Prince’s regional influence, noting that the US and Russia were negotiating in Riyadh, and argued that Saudi Arabia is the “only player” in the region after the decline of Iran’s influence. Sheikh Thaer Al-Bayati<\/a> (Post Impact: 3%)<\/strong> also drew a comparison, stating Saudi Arabia invested its dollars to become a global hub while Iraq invested its to become a hub for Iranian terrorism.<\/p>\n A detailed post by Othman Al-Mukhtar<\/a> (Post Impact: 21%)<\/strong> aimed to counter what he called “misinformation”<\/em> spread by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq about Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. The author claims Sharaa was captured by US forces near Mosul in late 2003 and exclusively fought against the American occupation in Anbar and Nineveh, never in mixed sectarian areas or against Iraqi forces, which had not yet been established. The post argues that portraying him as involved in crimes against Iraqi Shiites is a “new lamentation” designed to undermine the new Syrian government. In a contrasting view, Wasan Al-Shaikhli<\/a> (Post Impact: 6%)<\/strong> shared a post stating, “Urgent… Shiites of the Ahl al-Bayt ‘peace be upon them’ in Syria are being subjected to killing and kidnapping by the gangs of the cursed Jolani.”<\/em><\/p>\n Accounts directed harsh criticism at the performance of Iraqi governments since 2003, with a particular focus on former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Rusly Al-Maliki<\/a> (Post Impact: 12%)<\/strong> wrote a lengthy post arguing that post-2003 leaders squandered immense American and international support. He accuses them of placing the country “in Iran’s lap,” establishing a sectarian and corrupt government, and creating the conditions for the rise of terrorist groups. He concludes that their rule will be remembered as the “most failed and dirtiest rule”<\/em> in the country’s history. Adding to the criticism, Sheikh Thaer Al-Bayati<\/a> (Post Impact: 14%)<\/strong> shared an image of Nouri al-Maliki with the caption “First drops of rain… Nouri al-Maliki, get well soon. Your treatment is in Russia.”<\/em><\/p>\n Sectarian discourse was visible in several trending posts. Farouq Al-Dhafiri-Iraq Al-Jarih<\/a> (Post Impact: 23%)<\/strong> shared a video clip of a former Shiite cleric, Sheikh Dr. Hussein Al-Moayed, with the title “The formerly guided Shiite authority… demolishes the Shiite religion.”<\/em> This post aimed to challenge Shiite theological foundations. On another front, Mahdi Majeed<\/a> (Post Impact: 7%)<\/strong> posted a video of a pro-Iranian cleric, stating, “When I say that the pro-Iranian clerics are more dangerous than drugs, prostitutes, and debauchery, some blame me,”<\/em> accusing such figures of deceiving people for Iran’s benefit.<\/p>\n News that Kuwait decided to include Iraqi citizens in its electronic tourist visa system was met with positive reactions. Wasan Al-Shaikhli<\/a> (Post Impact: 36%)<\/strong> shared a screenshot of the news bulletin, commenting, “By God, this is the best news.”<\/em> The account Haidar<\/a> (Post Impact: 4%)<\/strong> also shared the announcement from the Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior, stating that the decision was effective immediately. The development was seen as a positive step in relations between the two neighboring countries.<\/p>\n Allegations of blackmail against an Iraqi actress, reportedly involving figures associated with pro-Iran militias, circulated on the platform. Hiba Al-Nnayib<\/a> (Post Impact: 9%)<\/strong> accused director Essam Al-Shammari, whom she identifies as being affiliated with Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, of threatening a Shiite actress with assistance from another director, Ali Fadel Abbas. She claimed that pro-militia pages were defending the accused and attacking the victim. Yasser Eljuboori – \u064a\u0627\u0633\u0631 \u0627\u0644\u062c\u0628\u0648\u0631\u064a<\/a> (Post Impact: 4%)<\/strong> also commented on a leaked clip of actress Sara Al-Bahrani, sarcastically noting it was leaked by “journalists whom Iraq boasts about” who do not engage in blackmail.<\/p>\n The official visit of Qatar’s Emir to Iran was a topic of discussion, with users sharing video clips of his arrival and meetings. Omar Abdul Sattar Mahmoud<\/a> posted two clips of the visit (Post Impact: 10%)<\/strong> and (Post Impact: 5%)<\/strong>, generating interest in the diplomatic event. The visit was viewed within the broader context of regional power dynamics. Sufian Al-Samarrai<\/a> (Post Impact: 8%)<\/strong> shared a photo from a separate meeting that included Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Popular Mobilization Forces figures, describing them as part of the same “dependency” network, implicitly linking these developments to Iran’s regional agenda.<\/p>\n Several accounts commemorated the 26th anniversary of the assassination of Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Mohammed Sadiq al-Sadr and his two sons on February 19, 1999. Abu Alaa Al-Walaei<\/a> (Post Impact: 5%)<\/strong>, Secretary-General of Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, stated that Martyr al-Sadr has the “largest share in every victory achieved in defense of Iraq.” Safaa Al-Asadi<\/a> (Post Impact: 2%)<\/strong> described the day as a “calamity” and cursed those responsible for his killing. Other users, like Dr. Haidar Al-Barzanji<\/a> (Post Impact: 4%)<\/strong>, shared AI-generated images of the late cleric, reflecting his continued influence.<\/p>\n The reported appointment of a former Ba’athist-era minister as an advisor to the Prime Minister sparked criticism. The account Haidar<\/a> (Post Impact: 4%)<\/strong> posted a comment from MP Mustafa Sanad questioning Prime Minister Al-Sudani’s appointment of Abdul-Ilah al-Tikriti. Sanad is quoted saying, “Raghad [Saddam’s daughter] is running, Saddam’s ministers are ruling… and they conspire against the regime.”<\/em> Salam Al-Hussaini<\/a> (Post Impact: 2%)<\/strong> also shared the news, citing a letter from MP Faleh Al-Khazali about the appointment of “the Ba’athist and former Minister of Agriculture Abdul-Ilah Hamid” as an advisor.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Based on an analysis of (473) trending X \/ Twitter posts on February 19, 2025, Miqrab AI identified several key narratives dominating online discourse in Iraq. The most significant development was Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s directive to his followers to update their voter registration records, signaling a potential return to the political arena and sparking […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9383,"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-9382","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\/9382","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=9382"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/miqrab.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9382\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9384,"href":"https:\/\/miqrab.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9382\/revisions\/9384"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miqrab.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9383"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/miqrab.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9382"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miqrab.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9382"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miqrab.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9382"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}2. Praise for Saudi Diplomacy vs. Iraqi Politics<\/h2>\n
3. Defending Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s Past<\/h2>\n
4. Critique of Post-2003 Iraqi Governance<\/h2>\n
5. Sectarian Religious Debates Online<\/h2>\n
6. Kuwait Eases Visa Rules for Iraqis<\/h2>\n
7. Blackmail Accusations Against Militia-Linked Figures<\/h2>\n
8. The Emir of Qatar’s Visit to Iran<\/h2>\n
9. Commemorating Mohammed Sadiq al-Sadr’s Assassination<\/h2>\n
10. Controversy Over New Government Advisor<\/h2>\n