After Fission
Recognition and Contestation in the Atomic Age
Book •
Sidra Hamidi’s After Fission examines how nuclear status is distinct from mere technical capability and is actively contested by states and recognized (or denied) by powerful actors.
Drawing on archival documents and diplomatic memoirs, the book analyzes key cases — India, Israel, Iran, and North Korea — to show how legal definitions, nuclear testing ambiguities, and identity concerns shape status contests.
Hamidi argues the 1970 Non‑Proliferation Treaty’s structure helped untether status from capability, producing new diplomatic dynamics.
The book demonstrates that motivations for contesting status (instrumental, legal, identity) shift over time and affect negotiation outcomes.
She concludes with policy implications, suggesting successful diplomacy must address status concerns as well as technical constraints.
Drawing on archival documents and diplomatic memoirs, the book analyzes key cases — India, Israel, Iran, and North Korea — to show how legal definitions, nuclear testing ambiguities, and identity concerns shape status contests.
Hamidi argues the 1970 Non‑Proliferation Treaty’s structure helped untether status from capability, producing new diplomatic dynamics.
The book demonstrates that motivations for contesting status (instrumental, legal, identity) shift over time and affect negotiation outcomes.
She concludes with policy implications, suggesting successful diplomacy must address status concerns as well as technical constraints.
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Miranda Melcher
Sidra Hamidi, "After Fission: Recognition and Contestation in the Atomic Age" (Cambridge UP, 2026)
Mentioned by 
Miranda Melcher
Sidra Hamidi, "After Fission: Recognition and Contestation in the Atomic Age" (Cambridge UP, 2026)
