Based on an analysis of 449 Facebook posts trending on February 21, 2026, Miqrab AI identified several key narratives in Iraq. The most engaging stories revolved around geopolitical tensions, including warnings of potential US military strikes on Iraqi soil amid conflict with Iran and a burgeoning diplomatic dispute with Kuwait over maritime borders. Domestically, high-profile political figures like Muqtada al-Sadr commanded significant attention with social media messages, while the activities of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani also featured prominently. Discussions about internal political maneuvering, particularly concerning the candidacy of Nouri al-Maliki, were prevalent. Alongside these serious political and security topics, international sports news, specifically a major football upset, generated the highest single-post engagement, demonstrating a diverse range of interests among Iraqi Facebook users.<\/p>\n
The most engaging topic on Facebook was the surprising defeat of Real Madrid by Osasuna with a score of two goals to one in the 25th round of the Spanish league. The popular page Al-Khawa Al-Nadhifa<\/a> ((Post Impact: 100%)<\/strong>) shared a straightforward announcement of the result. Other pages, such as Set Ashwaq Um Al-Qanooniya<\/a> ((Post Impact: 57%)<\/strong>), framed the loss as Osasuna “gifting the lead to Barcelona” and humorously taunted Real Madrid supporters. The page Bab Al-Toob<\/a> ((Post Impact: 10%)<\/strong>) also noted that Real Madrid had lost its top position in the league standings as a result of the loss.<\/p>\n Posts from Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on the social media platform “X” generated significant discussion. The Private Office of His Eminence Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr<\/a> ((Post Impact: 62%)<\/strong>) amplified his statements, including one published on February 22, 2026, and another under the hashtag “#Affection_and_Mercy” ((Post Impact: 54%)<\/strong>). The page Nafas Iraq<\/a> ((Post Impact: 10%)<\/strong>) highlighted one of these messages, where al-Sadr called on men to help their wives, stating, “You are not better than Imam Ali and Lady Zahra.”<\/em> This indicates a focus on social and familial values in his recent communications.<\/p>\n Fears of Iraq being caught in a conflict between the United States and Iran were a major topic of discussion. Citing Radio Monte Carlo, the page Al-Khawa Al-Nadhifa<\/a> ((Post Impact: 61%)<\/strong>) reported that a “new American message means the possibility of Iraq being exposed to military strikes in the event of a potential attack on Iran.” This report was also shared by Al-Adhamiyah News<\/a> ((Post Impact: 4%)<\/strong>). In a related satirical post, the page Salfa w Nos<\/a> ((Post Impact: 35%)<\/strong>) contrasted past defiant rhetoric with current calls for caution, mocking a shift from “our finger is on the trigger”<\/em> to “let’s take things with wisdom and rationality, Trump is crazy.”<\/em><\/p>\n A diplomatic row between Iraq and Kuwait over maritime boundaries gained significant traction. Former MP Dr. Haider Al-Salami<\/a> ((Post Impact: 33%)<\/strong>) announced that Iraq had successfully deposited its official maritime map with the United Nations, which he stated would “guarantee Iraq’s right to defend its sovereign rights” in Khor Abdullah. Conversely, Steven Nabil<\/a> ((Post Impact: 24%)<\/strong>) reported that Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Iraqi charg\u00e9 d’affaires and delivered a formal protest note. Kuwait’s statement alleges that Iraq’s claims infringe upon its sovereignty over maritime areas, specifically naming Fasht al-Qayd and Fasht al-Aych. This sentiment was echoed on Al-Salami’s page, which later criticized Kuwait’s protest as an attempt to “rob Iraq of its sovereign rights.”<\/p>\n A political slogan adopted by figures in the Iraqi Sunni opposition abroad drew both attention and criticism. The page Yani Tafadal<\/a> ((Post Impact: 29%)<\/strong>) posted an image of the group wearing hats similar to those of Donald Trump with the message: “We will make Iraq great again.”<\/em> In response, Mohammed Al-Khazaie<\/a> ((Post Impact: 18%)<\/strong>) shared a critical post, mocking the group and claiming that two of its members were former MPs who had previously supported terrorism and are now collecting parliamentary pensions.<\/p>\n Official government activity was highlighted through posts covering Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani’s meeting with the newly appointed governor of Salah al-Din, Haytham Mahmoud Al-Zahwan. The Prime Minister’s official page, Engineer Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani<\/a> ((Post Impact: 14%)<\/strong>), reported that the PM congratulated the new governor and emphasized the need to continue with development plans and infrastructure projects to improve services for citizens. The same news was shared by the Media Office of the Iraqi Prime Minister<\/a> ((Post Impact: 7%)<\/strong>), reinforcing the government’s message on provincial development and governance.<\/p>\n Statements by former US President Donald Trump and related American military actions were closely monitored. The page Al-Khawa Al-Nadhifa<\/a> ((Post Impact: 17%)<\/strong>) reported that Trump had decided to raise global customs tariffs from 10% to 15%. This was followed by a terse post from the U.S. Embassy Baghdad<\/a> ((Post Impact: 11%)<\/strong>) which simply stated, “President Trump has been clear.”<\/em> Adding to the sense of heightened military readiness, The Tactical Cell<\/a> ((Post Impact: 6%)<\/strong>) shared photos of 12 F-22 Raptor fighter jets reportedly en route to the Middle East.<\/p>\n The political maneuvering surrounding Nouri al-Maliki’s potential candidacy for Prime Minister was a recurring topic. Political commentator Steven Nabil<\/a> ((Post Impact: 5%)<\/strong>) questioned whether the Reconstruction and Development Coalition would withdraw its support for his nomination. Meanwhile, pages like Husham Ali<\/a> ((Post Impact: 4%)<\/strong>) and Ahmed Al-Thawaq<\/a> ((Post Impact: 4%)<\/strong>) shared a statement from Deputy Speaker of Parliament Farhad Al-Atrushi, who warned that “Al-Maliki will not stand idly by if he is excluded and prevented from assuming the position of Prime Minister.”<\/em><\/p>\n A domestic security incident involving the arrest of an armed individual in Baghdad was shared across security-focused pages. The pages Maher Mohi :: Voice of the Homeland Protectors<\/a> ((Post Impact: 8%)<\/strong>) and Support for Iraqi Security Forces<\/a> ((Post Impact: 7%)<\/strong>) both posted videos of security forces apprehending a man who was reportedly “roaming Baghdad” while carrying an M4 rifle and a handgun. The posts celebrated the “heroes” who made the arrest, framing the event as a successful law enforcement action.<\/p>\n Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani’s engagement with security personnel during Ramadan was another featured topic. The PM’s official page, Engineer Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani<\/a> ((Post Impact: 8%)<\/strong>), posted about a Ramadan evening where he hosted members of the Traffic Police, Civil Defense, and Emergency Police. The post highlighted the PM’s praise for their doubled efforts during the holy month and stressed the importance of discipline and public service. This event was also covered by the Media Office of the Iraqi Prime Minister<\/a> ((Post Impact: 3%)<\/strong>).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Based on an analysis of 449 Facebook posts trending on February 21, 2026, Miqrab AI identified several key narratives in Iraq. The most engaging stories revolved around geopolitical tensions, including warnings of potential US military strikes on Iraqi soil amid conflict with Iran and a burgeoning diplomatic dispute with Kuwait over maritime borders. Domestically, high-profile […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9998,"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-9997","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\/9997","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=9997"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/miqrab.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9997\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9999,"href":"https:\/\/miqrab.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9997\/revisions\/9999"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miqrab.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9998"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/miqrab.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9997"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miqrab.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9997"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miqrab.ai\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9997"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}2. Muqtada al-Sadr’s Messages on Social Media<\/h2>\n
3. US Warning of Potential Strikes on Iraq<\/h2>\n
4. Iraq-Kuwait Maritime Border Dispute Escalates<\/h2>\n
5. “Make Iraq Great Again” Slogan Controversy<\/h2>\n
6. PM Sudani Meets New Salah al-Din Governor<\/h2>\n
7. Trump’s Policies and US Military Movements<\/h2>\n
8. Debate Over Nouri al-Maliki’s PM Candidacy<\/h2>\n
9. Arrest of Man Carrying M4 Rifle in Baghdad<\/h2>\n
10. PM Sudani Meets with Security Forces for Ramadan Iftar<\/h2>\n