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.
Smoke rises above Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, March 5, 2026

Iran’s drone war on Gulf will test whether Arab nations strike back - analysis

The Gulf countries are trying to put on a brave face of resilience in the face of the threat. While there has been some talk of retaliation, it would likely require Riyadh to lead the way.

MARCH 8, 2026
Aftermath of an Israeli and the US strike on a police station, amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 2, 2026.

Will the US-Israel war on Iran reshape the global order? - analysis

Bush promised a world order of peace and democracy, a rules-based world order where countries wouldn’t invade one another. It was also a world where the US was the global hegemon.

MARCH 8, 2026
US President Donald Trump, with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at his side, looks on as he speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One on a flight from Dover, Delaware, to Miami, Florida, US, March 7, 2026.

Trump pragmatically changes course, 'has no interest' in Kurdish offensive in Iran

"I don't want to see the Kurds get hurt and killed. And we've had a good relationship. They're willing to go in. But we really, I've told them I don't want them to go in," the US president said.

MARCH 8, 2026

Why the Kurds are suddenly in the spotlight during the war with Iran - explainer

As Iranian proxies target Iraq's Kurdistan, the US is reportedly courting Kurdish Iranian militias for a ground front. Groups remain split between seizing the moment and avoiding total war.

MARCH 7, 2026
Iranian Kurdish fighters from the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) take part in a training session at a base on the outskirts of Erbil, Iraq February 12, 2026.

Six Kurdish Iranian groups unite in coalition against Tehran regime - analysis

Iranian Kurdish parties form a historic coalition to coordinate efforts and safeguard Kurdish interests amid regional unrest.

MARCH 5, 2026
Erfan Mortezaei, Mahsa Aminis cousin and his colleagues stand among the mountain on October 04, 2022 in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq as part of Komala Kurdistan's Organization of the Communist Party of Iran.

More than 80,000 people flee areas in Lebanon amid fighting

More than 80,000 displaced people had registered in shelters, and there are now 399 shelters for the displaced across Lebanon. Lebanon also says 72 people have been killed in the fighting.

MARCH 5, 2026
Aftermath of Israeli strikes following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran, Lebanon, March 2, 2026

The Kurdistan region of Iraq fears being dragged into Iran war - analysis

As Iran faces US and Israeli strikes, Iraq’s Kurdistan Region fears being pulled into the conflict amid drone attacks, militia activity, and growing concerns about regional escalation.

MARCH 5, 2026
Kurdish Peshmerga fighters affiliated with PAK train on January 18, 2026 near Erbil, Iraq.

Who are the Kurdish groups and leaders that the US might work with in Iran? - explainer

The US is reaching out to Kurdish Iranian opposition groups as tensions rise, following airstrikes on Iran. Kurdish factions recently formed a coalition to oppose the Iranian regime.

MARCH 4, 2026
Members of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) walk back to their outpost near Erbil, Kurdistan region of Iraq on Saturday, June 10, 2023. The KDPI, a leftist Kurdish group of Iran that has been running an armed struggle against the Islamic Republic's regime in Iran from exile for decades

US reveals it is using new suicide drone, taking a page out of Iran's playbook - analysis

The new drones are called LUCAS, an acronym for Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System (LUCAS) drones. They are based in the Middle East.

MARCH 4, 2026
LUCAS drone (illustrative).

Lebanon Islamic Group claims headquarters targeted by IDF strikes

The Islamic Group was founded in Lebanon in 1964, and is linked to the Muslim Brotherhood. It has also worked alongside Hezbollah, though the Islamic Group is Sunni while Hezbollah is Shi’ite.

MARCH 4, 2026
RESCUERS GATHER at the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the Jamaa Islamiya offices in the southern Lebanese coastal city of Sidon on March 3, 2026.

Border crossings to Gaza were temporarily closed amid Operation Roaring Lion

Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) noted on March 2 that “Israel is not arbitrarily blocking aid into Gaza.”

MARCH 3, 2026
The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt opens to pedestrian traffic on Feb. 2, 2026.

Iran targets Kurdistan Region in Iraq, seeks to make it a war zone - analysis

Iran attacks Kurdish groups in Iraq, using militias to strike US forces and neighbors, seeking to turn Iraq into a strategic buffer zone against uprisings in Kurdish areas of Iran.

MARCH 3, 2026
A plume of smoke rises near Erbil International Airport in Erbil on March 1, 2026.

Weighing it out: Saudi Arabia deciding next steps against Iran as Mideast tensions rise - analysis

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman is looking at the Kingdom’s next options, but must take a measured stance.

MARCH 3, 2026
US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman look at portraits at the "Presidential Walk of Fame" in the Colonnade at the White House in Washington, DC, November 18, 2025.