In recent years, global concern over climate change has intensified, particularly in Iraq. Forecasting hydrological data remains a significant challenge, making general trend analysis of time series critically important. This study employed two complementary methods, Innovative Trend Analysis (ITA) and Innovative Polygon Trend Analysis (IPTA) to comprehensively assess rainfall trends across Iraq using monthly rainfall data spanning 34 years (1990–2023) from 16 meteorological stations distributed throughout Iraq. ITA results revealed significant negative trends at 81.25 % of the stations, with the most pronounced decreases occurring in the northern regions. Only two stations, Al-Hay and Baghdad, exhibited positive trends; Karbala did not show any apparent change in direction. The IPTA approach provided enhanced temporal resolution, uncovering distinct seasonal redistribution patterns: winter rainfall (December–February) declined at 87.5 % of the stations, whereas rainfall in late spring (May) and autumn (November) increased at 87.5 % and 68.75 % of the stations, respectively. This shift from traditional winter dominated rainfall toward transitional seasons represents a fundamental alteration in Iraq’s rainfall regime. Analyses further highlighted geographic variability, with uniform negative trends in the north, complex mixed patterns in central Iraq, and predominantly negative trends in the south. The irregular polygon shapes observed in IPTA diagrams show a complex and unstable climatic environment across most study stations. These findings demonstrate the value of ITA and IPTA for detecting rainfall trends and contribute to a deeper understanding of rainfall variability and its implications for agriculture and water-resource management in Iraq.