In this week’s podcast, we discuss the attempted resignation of Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and the growing protests in Algeria against President Bouteflika’s proposed fifth term. In Iran, Zarif announced his resignation in a February 25th Instagram post, but President Rouhani insists that Zarif keep his job after widespread support for the Foreign Minister’s performance. In Algeria, protests continue to swell to hundreds of thousands as Algerians denounce President Bouteflika’s plans to run for a fifth term in office despite his ill-health.
Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif Resigns:
- “Zarif resigned over Assad’s trip to Tehran: Spokesperson,” Al Jazeera
- “Iran’s foreign minister stays on—But with a difficult mandate,” Suzanne Maloney, The Brookings Institution
- “Javad Zarif Returns—to a Foreign Ministry Still Out in the Cold,” Mehrzad Boroujerdi, Foreign Affairs
Algeria Protests:
- “President Abdelaziz Bouteflika returns to Algeria amid mass protests,” BBC
- “Algeria: Protesters reject president’s ‘compromise’,” Deutsche Welle
- “Algeria: Arbitrary Arrests at Election Protests,” Human Rights Watch
- “Q&A – “No to the Fifth Term”: Algeria’s New Protest Movement,” Isabelle Werenfels, Project on Middle East Democracy