The Regent of Iraq (Arabic: وصي العراق, romanized: waṣṣā al-ʿIrāqi) was a position established in 1939 and held by 'Abd al-Ilah until 1953. a regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state (ruling or not) because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated.[1]