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.
An Indian liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carrier, Shivalik, arrives at Mundra Port via the Strait of Hormuz, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Gujarat, India, March 16, 2026.

Strait of Hormuz crisis: Iran threatens to open Pandora's Box through chaos - analysis

The Hormuz closure has become the proverbial Pandora’s Box, and many issues have emerged from this crisis that were neither expected nor part of previous discussions about a deal.

APRIL 23, 2026
People walk beneath Cypriot and EU flags in Nicosia's Eleftheria (Freedom) square, April 16, 2003.

EU leaders gather in Cyprus as Middle East tensions shape summit agenda - analysis

Cyprus is physically close to Israel and Lebanon and has close ties with Israel and Greece, with Cyprus-based PhileNews noting that “Thursday’s working dinner centers on geopolitical developments."

APRIL 23, 2026
Iraqi security forces sit on vehicles at a street after an attack by a drone strike on an Iran-backed militia headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq January 4, 2024.

Why the US is standing up to Iranian-backed militias in Iraq - analysis

The US-Iran talks are now tied to wider regional issues. For instance, Iran wanted a ceasefire in Lebanon. The US wants to see Iranian support for proxies ended.

APRIL 22, 2026

Iraq political factions fail to agree on prime minister as US pressure mounts

It has been five months since Iraq had an election in November, 2025. However, the parties can’t agree on a prime minister.

APRIL 21, 2026
A protester holds a portrait of former Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki during a protest against US President Donald Trump near the US embassy in Baghdad, on Jan. 29, 2026.

Syria cracks down on Hezbollah plots, drug smuggling

Syria is cracking down on terrorist plots and drug trade, busting Iran-backed terror cells and shutting down Hezbollah-linked smuggling plots.

APRIL 20, 2026
A view of the drugs seized in a successful operation carried out by the Anti-Narcotics Directorate in the Jaramana district of Rif Dimashq province, displayed at the Anti-Narcotics Directorate in Damascus, Syria on April 15, 2026.

Israel’s Lebanon move raises doubts over gas, Hezbollah and the 2022 maritime deal - analysis

The new buffer zone reflects Israel’s long-term security strategy, with gas concerns secondary to countering Hezbollah.

APRIL 20, 2026
: Israeli soldiers walk along the buffer zone between Northern Israel and Southern Lebanon as seen from a position on the Israeli side of the border on February 18, 2025 in Northern Israel, Israel.

Israel’s symbolic strikes on bridges and high-rises show limits of military power - analysis

Israel's strikes on bridges and high-rises in Gaza and Lebanon are symbolic, revealing the limits of its military power as Hezbollah and Hamas maintain control in both regions.

APRIL 19, 2026
People help a man on a motorcycle to cross a bridge linking southern Lebanon to the rest of the country, which was hit in an earlier Israeli strike, amid a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, in Zrarieh, Lebanon, April 19, 2026.

The US-Iran negotiations in Pakistan: More talk, less action on critical issues - analysis

A new round of US-Iran talks begins in Pakistan, but key issues like the Strait of Hormuz remain unresolved.

APRIL 19, 2026
Hoardings displaying flags of the US, Pakistan and Iran, as Pakistan prepares to host the U.S. and Iran for the second phase of peace talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, April 18, 2026.

US Treasury goes after Iranian-backed militias in Iraq

Several days ago, the US State Department’s Rewards for Justice program announced a $10 million reward for information on Ahmad al-Hamidawi, the leader of the militia Kataib Hezbollah.

APRIL 18, 2026
A general view of the Treasury Building on day two of a partial government shutdown in Washington, DC, US, February 1, 2026.

Iran split over Strait of Hormuz as IRGC challenges Foreign Minister Araghchi

“Bad and Incomplete Tweet by Araghchi and Incorrect Ambiguity-Creation Regarding the Reopening of the Strait of Hormuz," the IRGC-linked Tasnim posted on X on Friday.

APRIL 18, 2026
Members of security forces look on during a funeral procession held for IRGC Navy Chief Alireza Tangsiri, alongside other senior naval commanders and their families who were killed in US-Israeli strikes in late March, on April 1, 2026 in Tehran, Iran.

Has Hezbollah crossed a red line in attack on French UNIFIL soldiers? - analysis

A number of UN peacekeepers have been killed in the recent fighting in Lebanon, including two Indonesian peacekeepers who were killed on March 30 by a roadside explosion, according to the BBC.

APRIL 18, 2026
A French contingent of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) patrols the area as displaced residents waving Hezbollah flags make their way back to their homes on a makeshift road on April 18, 2026.

Syrian authorities intercept large shipment of 6,000 explosive detonators heading to Lebanon

The detonators could have been used in IEDs and were likely destined for Hezbollah.

APRIL 16, 2026
A Syrian girl, who was living in Lebanon and returned to Syria due to hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah terrorists, looks out through a window of a vehicle, at the Syrian-Lebanese border, in Jdaydet Yabous, Syria, October 7, 2024; illustrative.

Pakistan's role in advancing US-Iran talks watched by Gulf nations amid rising tensions - analysis

Meanwhile, at sea, US Central Command says the US blockade of Iran is working. Iran claims that at least one Iranian supertanker had crossed the blockade line and made it to Iran’s Imam Khomeini port

APRIL 16, 2026
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meets with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, as delegations from the United States and Iran are expected to hold peace talks, in Islamabad, Pakistan, April 11, 2026.