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. 


FILE PHOTO: Palestinians displaced by the Israeli military offensive shelter in an UNRWA school, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, August 19, 2025.

Has Gaza's post-Hamas government already been created despite Phase II delays? - analysis

A vehicle burns during protests in Tehran, Iran, on January 8, 2026.

Iran’s protest playbook: Ignore, distract, then unleash the killings - analysis

The Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) members pose for the camera as they celebrate Nowruz at the Jezhnikan Village around Baharka, Iraq, on March 18, 2025.

Kurdish parties in Iran call for regime change as protests continue


Are protests pushing Iran's Islamic regime toward a tipping point? - analysis

Iran’s diplomatic moves, not calling for assistance or reaching out to its allies, seem to be intended to show that Tehran believes everything is going to turn out all right.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei meets with the families of Iranians who died during the 12-Day War between Israel and Iran, January 3, 2026.

Aleppo’s Kurdish neighborhoods fall, and Syria’s minority question resurfaces - analysis

Clashes grew in the first days of January 2026, and now Syrian security forces have taken over most of the Kurdish neighborhoods, causing many Kurds to flee and also leading to abuses against Kurds.

Security forces affiliated with the Ministry of the Interior stand guard in the Ashrafieh neighbourhood, which they have taken control of, according to the Interior Ministry, following battles with the Syrian Democratic Forces, in Aleppo, Syria, January 9, 2026.

Saudi Arabia draws red line in Yemen, reasserting Middle East role - analysis

Is it possible that Riyadh’s decision to move quickly to stop the STC in late December was linked to larger strategy issues in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden?

A flag of the UAE-backed separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) flutters on a military patrol truck, at the site of a rally by STC supporters in Aden, Yemen, January 1, 2026.

After Maduro’s fall, Iran, Russia, China and others watching Washington closely - analysis

The US president is a man of action, as Rubio has characterized him. "If you don't know, now you know.” Now Madruo knows. Iran, Russia, China, and other countries will be watching. 

US President Donald Trump sits near Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Secretary of State Marco Rubio stand in front, as they watch the US military operation in Venezuela from Trump's Mar a Lago resort, in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., January 3, 2026.

Yemen's Hadramout Saudi-backed governor announces 'peaceful operation' to reclaim military sites

Flights were halted on Thursday at Yemen’s Aden international airport, the main international gateway for regions of the country outside Houthi control.

A flag of the UAE-backed separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) flutters on a military patrol truck, at the site of a rally by STC supporters in Aden, Yemen, January 1, 2026.

Iraq moves to reclaim Ain al-Assad as US-led coalition ends mission

Assad's base was one of the few places the US remained, until Iran targeted the base with ballistic missiles in 2020 in response to the US killing Soleimani.

A member of the Iraqi security forces stands by a destroyed vehicle that was carrying rockets amdist sacks of flour, in the district of al-Baghdadi in al-Anbar province on July 8, 2021.

Yemen’s Aden airport shut by STC-backed transport minister, Saudi source says

A shutdown of Aden airport was ordered by the transportation minister in the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) that runs southern Yemen, a Saudi source told Reuters on Thursday.

A Yemen Airways (Yemenia) plane stands at Aden Airport in Aden, Yemen January 1, 2026.

What challenges will Israel face in the Middle East in the upcoming year? - analysis

With 2025 coming to a close, many of Israel's issues remain unresolved. It’s worth examining 2026's challenges one at a time and assessing the hurdles Israel still faces.

IDF soldiers operating in the Gaza Strip, August 1, 2025.

'West Bank-ification?' Police investigate Negev arson spree as Bedouin tensions intensify

Multiple vehicles were torched in Negev towns overnight, with police linking the incidents to reprisals following ongoing operations in nearby Bedouin communities.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir tour at the Bedouin town of Tarabin al-Sana, in southern Israel, December 28, 2025.

Gulf alliance tested as Saudi Arabia pushes back against UAE role in Yemen - analysis

A rare dispute between Saudi Arabia and the UAE erupted after Riyadh launched airstrikes in Yemen, accusing Abu Dhabi-backed forces of threatening stability by seizing territory.

 Damaged military vehicles, reportedly sent by the United Arab Emirates to support Southern Transitional Council (STC) separatist forces, following an air strike carried out by the Saudi-led coalition in the port of Mukalla, southern Yemen, on December 30, 2025.