Tony Blair quits as peace envoy after spending eight years bringing stability to the Middle East

Tony Blair is stepping down from his role as envoy to the Middle East Quartet (the UN, EU, US and Russia) after nearly eight years in the role.

Senior officials had previously described his efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and bring peace to the wider Middle East as "useless, useless, useless". The region remains in crisis, with Hamas executing Palestinians, Israel's deputy foreign minister asking diplomats to bring the Old Testament to meetings not to mention the millions of refugees displaced by the Syrian civil war in Jordan and Lebanon. And then there's Isis.

We're not the only ones who raised an eyebrow upon hearing of Blair's resignation.

While Blair may be stepping down from the role, it's unlikely he'll be leaving public life altogether. The former prime minister recently told Newsweek he plans to work until he is at least 91.

More: Tony Blair doesn't want to retire for a long, long time