Saddam Hussein was the President of Iraq.
Hussein became president in 1979 after serving as the dominant figure in Iraq’s Ba’ath Party government under President Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr. He remained in power until the United States-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. Although he also held the position of prime minister during parts of his rule, “President of Iraq” is the standard description of his national office.
His presidency included the Iran–Iraq War, fought from 1980 to 1988, and Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990. The latter led to the Gulf War and severe international sanctions against Iraq. His government was highly authoritarian and was accused of widespread political repression and serious human-rights abuses.
Hussein was captured in Iraq in December 2003, later convicted by an Iraqi tribunal, and executed in 2006. Iraq continued as a sovereign country after his removal, with a new political system established following the invasion.