Dennis B. Ross has been President Barack Obama’s most influential advisers on Iran and and the Middle East peace process but he would soon be out of the administration. A senior White House official said that Ross would leave his position in December. Dennis Ross

Ross announced his resignation at a lunch with Jewish leaders. He told White House officials that he promised his wife that he would leave his government position after two years. He joined the public service in February 2009 as a senior adviser in the State Department before he became part of the National Security Council.

He would be the second member of Obama’s envoy to leave the administration. George J. Mitchell resigned last May. This would leave a big hole in Obama’s team on the Middle East. This could also symbolize how much progress his team has made in the peace process in the region since the president proclaimed that it would be one of top foreign policy goals.

Ross has been a Middle East envoy to three US presidents. He is known for his longstanding ties to Israeli leaders, which made him an important person to discuss matters with regards to Israel. The administration stated that his departure was not the result of differences over policy.