Summary

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, a central architect of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, has submitted his resignation to President Hassan Rouhani. In a sign of the times, he did it out in the open where everyone can see it: on Instagram.

The move lays bare the normally behind-the-scenes factional infighting at the heart of Iranian politics, and it comes at a particularly bad time for the Rouhani administration. Iran’s economy is in dire straits and Rouhani’s landmark nuclear deal is flat-lining despite European attempts to keep it on alive.

Recent events suggest that the Rouhani administration may not be long of this world. And given what’s likely to replace it, Western leaders may one day look back and pine for the good old days.