Julia Tomasso is a junior research fellow in the Defence Industry and Security Programme at IRIS, specialising in defence industrial policies, the armament industry and strategic cultures in Europe and the Middle East, with a particular focus on Iran.

She holds a dual Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Islamic Studies from McGill University and a Master’s degree in Middle Eastern Studies from SOAS University. During her studies, Julia Tomasso specialised in the Iranian arms industry and nuclear proliferation, while also exploring Islamic issues, particularly the intrumentalisation of Islamic theological concepts by terrorist groups. She speaks Farsi and Turkish at an intermediate level.

Before joining IRIS, Julia worked for the Cambridge Middle East and North Africa Forum, a London-based think tank, as a writer specialising in Iranian defence issues. She also completed an internship at the French Ministry of Defence as an analyst, where she published a report on Iranian military doctrine.