One of the defining characteristics of Secretary of State John Kerry’s tenure at the State Department has been the relationship he has established with his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif. Indeed, the personal rapport between the two has been oft-commented upon, and even Kerry has remarked that it is his relationship with Zarif that allows him to cut through what might otherwise be intractable problems. As Kerry’s term winds down, some even wonder where bilateral ties might go when Kerry moves on.

The problem with Kerry’s reliance on Zarif, however, is that Zarif’s track record shows him to be an inveterate liar. Consider this, this, or this. It’s not just that Zarif lies, but that he is pathological about it. In effect, Kerry has put his faith in the Iranian equivalent of “Baghdad Bob.”

Consider Zarif’s statement last year that Iran was not militarily involved in Syria. That Syrian rebels killed an Iranian general around the same time that Zarif was assuring Kerry that Iran’s hands were clean was embarrassing enough. Now comes word that Iranian casualties in Syria have surpassed 1,000. That’s an indication of a full-scale intervention, and not the training and advising mission which is how the Iranians describe their activity to credulous diplomats.

Back to the Kerry-Zarif relationship: What might the end of the diplomatic bromance mean between the two top diplomats? Perhaps it will mean the end of American credulity and the return of accountability for Iran’s destabilizing behavior. Perhaps rather that treat Zarif with kid gloves, the new secretary of state will call him out on his lies. And perhaps the new secretary of state will review every instance where Kerry and his top advisors simply took Zarif’s word for it, whether that involved Iranian activity in Syria, Iraq, or its activity with regard to the military aspects of its nuclear program.

Here’s to hoping.