Senior Research Associate
[email protected]
Maine, USA
703.859.6540
Areas of Research
- Iran’s intentions, activities, and capabilities in precision strike weapons, missiles, weapons of mass destruction (WMD), and space
- Iran’s defense industries
- Iran’s military strategy and its threat and use of military force
- Iran’s policies and positions on nonproliferation, arms control, disarmament, and regional security, including transparency and confidence-building measures (TCBMs)
- Role and limits of intelligence in nonproliferation and arms control
- Open-source research and analysis
Background
Jim Lamson is a Senior Research Associate based in Maine. His research focuses on Iranian weapons, space, and military issues, and Iran’s security and arms control policies. Prior to joining CNS, Jim worked for 23 years as an analyst with the Central Intelligence Agency, focusing on Iranian weapons and military issues, and served for more than five years in the Middle East. Before that, he worked on nonproliferation issues at CNS, the Conference on Disarmament, International Atomic Energy Agency, and U.S. Department of State.
Education
- BA in East Asian Studies, Middlebury College
- MA in International Policy Studies, Monterey Institute of International Studies
- MS in National Resource Strategy, National Defense University, with a certificate in Supply Chain Management
- Currently MPhil/PhD student in Defence Studies with King’s College London
CNS Work
- OP#61: Iran-Russia Defense Cooperation: Current Realities and Future Horizons
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the country’s defense relationship with Iran has deepened and widened considerably. - The Uncomfortable Reality of Russia and Iran’s New Defense Relationship
Since 2022, Russia’s defense relationship with Iran has taken a big leap forward. - Strategic Empathy: Examining Pattern Breaks to Better Understand Adversaries
Through case studies involving Russia, North Korea, and Iran the authors suggest that a more holistic, nuanced understanding of the adversary can inform effective policy responses.
