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.
Saudi Arabia delegation lands in Syria to advance $4 b. investment deal
Hezbollah rejects any long term ceasefire option where they give up their arms
Iranian gov't continues to push for uranium enrichment as nuclear talks stall
Syria seeks Turkey's help to train armed forces amid rising tensions - analysis
Syrian defense ministry personnel and other officials frequently visit Turkey. Some of the members of Syria’s new security forces were previously commanders in Turkish-backed Syrian proxy groups.
US tries to claw back influence in Middle East after crisis in Syria - analysis
US Special Envoy to Syria Ambassador Thomas J. Barrack has been under a spotlight in the last two weeks as US policy continues to face challenges.
As drone attacks target northern Iraq's Kurds, West urges Baghdad to act - analysis
The Kurdistan autonomous region is growing increasingly frustrated with Baghdad’s response. The leaders have likely communicated this to their Western allies.
Lebanon drops charges against Hezbollah Ashura festival gunmen
US Envoy Tom Barrack in Beirut speaks about the US using influence to achieve its goals in the region.
Hamas's last stronghold: Why the IDF steered clear of Deir al-Balah - until now - analysis
Deir al-Balah is an important area of Gaza because it has been left relatively untouched throughout the war. This is the last real remaining area of Hamas' power.
Russia sends message to Iran as joint naval drill launched in Caspian Sea
Russia sought to do this naval drill primarily to show it is still interested in joint cooperation with Iran.
Drones increasingly being used to smuggle items from Sinai to Gaza - report
The context surrounding the smuggling into Gaza, however, may not be a surprise.
What can Israel expect in its next war with Iran? - analysis
Israel learned from the 2024 attacks. During the 12-day war in June, Israel focused on taking out Iranian missile launchers, and it appears many of them were destroyed in the war.
What is Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s real strategy? - analysis
It seems that there is now concern in Washington that Damascus is not able to hold things together. Israel has played a complex role in this.
A month after the Iran war, what are the technological lessons learned?
What should Israel expect in a future war with Iran?