Seth J. Frantzman

Seth J. Frantzman is the senior Middle East Correspondent and analyst at The Jerusalem Post . He has covered the war against Islamic State, several Gaza wars, the conflict in Ukraine, refugee crises in Eastern Europe, and also reported from Iraq, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Senegal, the UAE, Ukraine, and Russia since 2011. He is the author of three books: The October 7 War: Israel's Battle for Security in Gaza (2024), Drone Wars: Pioneers, Killing Machines, Artificial Intelligence, and the Battle for the Future (2021), and After ISIS: America, Iran and the Struggle for the Middle East (2019). He is an adjunct fellow at The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). Born in Maine, he received his Ph.D from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 2010. He previously served as a research associate at the Rubin Center for Research in International Affairs at the Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya and a lecturer in American Studies at Al-Quds University. He is Executive Director of The Middle East Center for Reporting and Analysis and was a Ginsburg/Milstein Writing Fellow at the Middle East Forum. Frantzman has conducted research and worked for the JDC, The Shalem Center, the Jerusalem Institute for Market Studies, and as a Post-Doctoral at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He was a Congressional intern for Congressman Jim Kolbe while studying at The University of Arizona. He is a public speaker and frequent guest on various media as well as a contributor to Defense News , The Hill , The Spectator , and The National Interest, among other publications. His current interests include regional security and geopolitics.

Murat Karayilan co-leader of the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) and leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Confederalism Council (KKK) poses during an interview with AFP in a camp near Arbil in the Sinena mountains, northern Iraq, 11 August 2005.

Peace in the Middle East? Kurdish PKK leader discusses regional ‘third world war’

Shi'ite fighters launch a rocket during clashes with Islamic State militants on the outskirts of al-Alam, Iraq.

Iraq targets lingering ISIS pockets with airstrikes, operations in security vacuum after US pullout

Military personnel stand guard on the day of Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly's visit to the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah, Egypt, October 31, 2023.

Could Egyptian military deployment in Somalia upset Horn of Africa balance of power? - analysis


Tensions flare in Syria's Hasaka as Arab protesters target Kurdish symbols

The US is urging all sides to refrain from violence and resolve their differences through dialogue. The State Department made the comments in response to questions from Rudaw.

Kurdish female fighters in northeastern Syria.

One year after Trump's ceasefire, the next challenge in Gaza is still unclear - analysis

The Board of Peace has tried to do some work on the sidelines to see what might happen after Israel’s elections. In general, the theory is that Israel won’t do anything on Gaza until afterward.

A Palestinian Hamas terrorist stands guard as Palestinians walk on a street during Eid al-Fitr, in Gaza City, March 20, 2026

How will Saudi Arabia retaliate against Houthi attacks on civilian infrastructure? - analysis

Similar to how Iran targeted US bases in the region, Iran’s allies in Yemen are seeking to disrupt civilian life in Saudi Arabia by getting airports closed and flights canceled.

A Houthi supporter wearing a military uniform holds a mock missile as he joins Houthi supporters in a rally to show support to the movement as fighting intensifies across several Yemeni fronts, in Sana'a, Yemen, October 9, 2026

Islamic regime attacks against Kurdish forces affect both Kurds in Iran, Iraq as tensions rise

More than 1,000 drones have been fired against Kurdish forces in Iraq, while Kurds in both Iran and Iraq fear that the strikes will reach their homes.

Image Reboot: A female fighter from from the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK)  trains at a base near Erbil, Iraq, in Feb.

Syria deepens diplomatic ties with US as it weighs role in Saudi conflict with Houthis - analysis

US envoy Tom Barrack met with Syria's foreign minister shortly after President Ahmad al-Sharaa held talks in Riyadh with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on bilateral ties and regional security.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa meets US Special Envoy Tom Barrack in Damascus, Syria, December 1, 2025.

From Athens to Jerusalem: Why Israel should heed the warnings of ancient Greek history - analysis

Rubio's reflections on ancient Greece raise a question for Israel: Can a country remain strong while fighting on multiple fronts, or will military overreach undermine its long-term security?

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks at the Pnyx hill, where ancient Athenians held democratic assemblies, with the ancient Parthenon temple atop the Acropolis seen in the background, in Athens on October 7, 2026.

US Secretary of State Rubio applies classical Greece’s lessons to modern political decisions

Today the West is at a crossroads. “The next decade and the decisions we make will write the story of the next century," Rubio explained.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks at the Pnyx hill, where ancient Athenians held democratic assemblies, with the ancient Parthenon temple atop the Acropolis in the background, in Athens, Greece October 7, 2026.

French investigation spotlights Hamas links to crypto funding, local NGOs

The French arrests follow the US Treasury’s designation of a "member of Hamas’s military wing, along with two France-based individuals and two affiliated entities that provide financing to Hamas."

 Members of the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas and mourners attend the funeral of Al-Qassam fighters who were killed during the war between Israel and Hamas in the Al-Shati camp, in Gaza City, February 28, 2025.

As Brazil heads to run-off, Israel’s Latin America ties are placed in spotlight - analysis

Flavio Bolsonaro’s first-round victory over Lula da Silva puts Brazil at the center of a broader political shift in Latin America that could strengthen ties with Israel.

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks during a ceremony to sign into law a bill establishing a line of credit for companies affected by new tariffs imposed by the U.S. government, at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, July 22, 2026.

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkey defense pact faces first test in Houthi offensive - analysis

The new alliance has taken shape over recent months, with September’s Houthi offensive and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia presenting its first major test.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by their ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence, pose after signing a joint defense agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, August 7, 2026.