On 16 July 1979, Saddam Hussein formally became president of Iraq, completing a carefully managed rise through the ranks of the ruling Ba’ath Party and beginning a period of authoritarian rule that would profoundly alter Iraq, the Middle East and international politics.
A transfer of power in Baghdad
Saddam succeeded President Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr, who officially resigned on health grounds after leading Iraq since the Ba’ath Party seized power in 1968. Although al-Bakr remained the country’s formal leader throughout the 1970s, Saddam had increasingly controlled the security services, government institutions and economic policy from his position as vice-president.
By the time he assumed the presidency, Saddam was therefore far more than an emerging political figure. He had already established an extensive network of loyal officials and security personnel, while using Iraq’s growing oil revenues to strengthen the state, expand public services and finance ambitious infrastructure projects.
Power consolidated through repression
Saddam moved rapidly to secure his authority. Only days after becoming president, he convened a meeting of senior Ba’ath Party officials and announced that a conspiracy had been uncovered within the organisation. Dozens of officials were removed, arrested and accused of treason. Several were later executed.
The episode sent an unmistakable message throughout Iraq’s political and military establishment. Loyalty to Saddam became essential, while independent centres of influence were systematically weakened. Government, party and security structures were increasingly concentrated around the president, his family and trusted associates.
His administration combined modernisation with severe political repression. Oil income helped improve education, healthcare, transport and industrial capacity, but opposition groups, Kurdish communities, Shia activists and suspected political rivals faced surveillance, imprisonment, forced displacement and violence.
War transforms Iraq’s ambitions
Saddam’s presidency soon became inseparable from regional conflict. In September 1980, Iraq invaded neighbouring Iran, beginning a devastating war that lasted eight years. Baghdad initially expected a rapid victory, but the conflict instead caused enormous casualties, damaged Iraq’s economy and left the country carrying substantial debts.
In August 1990, Iraqi forces invaded Kuwait. The occupation prompted international condemnation and led to the 1991 Gulf War, in which a United States-led coalition expelled Iraqi troops. Iraq subsequently faced extensive United Nations sanctions, weapons inspections and growing economic isolation.
The sanctions era brought severe hardship for ordinary Iraqis, while Saddam’s government retained control through its security apparatus and tightly managed distribution of essential goods. Political power remained concentrated in Baghdad despite uprisings, military defeats and mounting international pressure.
A legacy that continues to divide
Saddam remained president until the United States-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 brought down his government. He was captured later that year, tried by an Iraqi court and executed in December 2006.
His accession on 16 July 1979 marked the beginning of one of the most consequential presidencies in modern Middle Eastern history. Supporters once associated his government with Iraqi nationalism, secular rule and state-led development. Critics remember a dictatorship defined by war, repression and widespread human rights abuses.
The consequences of his rule — weakened institutions, communal tensions, economic disruption and decades of conflict — continued to shape Iraq long after his removal from power.
Newshub Editorial in Middle East – 16 July 2026
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