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.
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem gives a televised address during a rally in solidarity with Iran and Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon January 26, 2026

Lebanon signals limits on Hezbollah as Israel retaliation raises escalation risks - analysis

Israel had warned Hezbollah not to get involved; however, rockets were fired at Jerusalem overnight between Sunday and Monday.

MARCH 2, 2026
Iron Beam, Iron Beam M, and Lite Beam

Israel’s Iron Beam laser: What can it do, and was it used against missiles from Lebanon? - analysis

Israel, the US, and other countries have worked on this technology. However, recent advances in technology have enabled lasers to finally become more practical for military uses.

MARCH 2, 2026
A plume of smoke rises near Erbil International Airport in Erbil on March 1, 2026. Loud explosions were heard early on March 1 near Erbil airport, which hosts US-led coalition troops in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, an AFP journalist said.

With Iraqi militia attacks on US forces, Iraq edges toward Iran war frontline

Iranian-backed militias have launched a series of drone attacks targeting US bases in Iraq, raising the question: has Iraq become the next frontline in the widening Iran war?

MARCH 1, 2026

Who is Ali Larijani, the Iranian official who may play a key role in Iran's future? - analysis

The absence of leadership is leading to questions about who might be the real decision maker in Tehran now. One name being mentioned is Ali Larijani. Who is Larijani, and why does he matter?

MARCH 1, 2026
Iran's security chief Ali Larijani attends a ceremony by the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah marking the first anniversary of Israel's assassination of their longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah, in Beirut's southern suburbs on September 27, 2025.

Missiles, routine, silence: Israel adjusts as war reaches heartland - analysis

A country was brought silent by war with Iran as first responders and the IDF Home Front Command deal with the impacts from Iran’s arsenal.

MARCH 1, 2026
Smoke in the sky over Jerusalem, after missiles were launched from Iran towards Israel, following Israel and US strikes on Iran, February 28, 2026

Why Iran's attack on Gulf states mimics Iraq's assault on Saudi Arabia - analysis

Iran's attack might have the opposite effect, bringing Gulf countries closer together and enabling cooperation with the US and among themselves.

MARCH 1, 2026
Iran and Iraq map. Ilustration.

The Kurds' moment: Why Iran’s Kurdish opposition thinks history is turning in its favor

MIDDLE EAST AFFAIRS: Kurdish groups in Iran and Iraq have faced incredible hardships. They have persevered. Now they sense that their moment has arrived.

MARCH 1, 2026
KURDISH GEN. Hussein Yazdanpanah, whom the writer first met almost a decade ago, has been fighting for Kurdish sovereignty for years.

For Kurds in Iraq, Iran conflict has opportunities and pitfalls - analysis

In the past, some Kurds were able to seek refuge in Iran during Saddam Hussein’s genocidal poison gas attacks. However, the Iranian regime has been persecuting Kurds over recent decades.

FEBRUARY 28, 2026
Travellers, mainly Iranian Kurds, arrive at the Haji Omran border crossing with Iran (Iranian flag in the background), in Iraq's autonomous northern Kurdish region, on February 1, 2026.

Iranian-backed militias in Iraq struck by missiles, possibly of Israeli origin - report

Iraqi Shiite militias linked with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including Kataib Hezbollah and other Popular Mobilization Forces groups, were targeted in Israeli strikes, local media claims.

FEBRUARY 28, 2026
Iraqi Shi'ite Muslim men from the Iranian-backed group Kataib Hezbollah wave the party's flags as they walk along a street painted in the colours of the Israeli flag during a parade marking the annual Quds Day, or Jerusalem Day, on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in Baghdad

Trump’s case for war draws on Iran regime’s 40 years of crimes - analysis

For decades, Iran has targeted and killed Americans and US allies. Its proxies took hostages. It attacked ships in the Gulf of Oman. Now, America is responding.

FEBRUARY 28, 2026
US President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address during a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber at the Capitol on February 24, 2026 in Washington, DC.

Israel 2048: New report by Henry Jackson Society looks at possible future strategy for Israel

This is an important new contribution to the discussion about what comes next for Israel and the Middle East, rooting Israel’s strategy in Israel’s history and in the West.

FEBRUARY 27, 2026
An illustrative image of a man holding an Israeli flag.

Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah in Iraq threatens US, Kurdish groups

The militia's threat came as the US Embassy in Israel said it had authorized the departure of non-essential personnel on Friday.

FEBRUARY 27, 2026
Iraqi Shi'ite Muslim men from the Iranian-backed group Kataib Hezbollah wave the party's flags as they walk along a street painted in the colours of the Israeli flag during a parade marking the annual Quds Day, or Jerusalem Day, on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in Baghdad

US efforts helped pave way for Syria-Druze deal, source tells 'Post'

Months of US diplomacy paved the way for a historic detainee swap between Damascus and the Druze of Sweida, marking a breakthrough in Syrian peace efforts.

FEBRUARY 26, 2026
Members of the military police stand near a bus carrying released detainees during a prisoner exchange between the Syrian government and Druze factions, in Sweida, Syria, February 26, 2026.