▁the ▁excess ▁capacity ▁in ▁its ▁oil ▁industry ▁would ▁cost ▁it ▁$ 4 0 ▁billion , ▁not ▁to ▁speak ▁of ▁pay ing ▁for ▁the ▁power ▁plants . ▁Har ness ing ▁nuclear ▁power ▁costs ▁a ▁fraction ▁of ▁this , ▁considering ▁Iran ▁has ▁abund ant ▁supplies ▁of ▁accessible ▁u ran ium ▁ore . ▁These ▁claims ▁have ▁been ▁echo ed ▁by ▁Scott ▁Ritter , ▁the ▁former ▁UN ▁weapons ▁inspect or ▁in ▁Ira q . ▁Roger ▁Stern , ▁of ▁Joh ns ▁Hop kins ▁Department ▁of ▁Geography ▁and ▁Environment al ▁Engineering , ▁agre es ▁" I ran ' s ▁claims ▁to ▁need ▁nuclear ▁power ▁could ▁be ▁genu ine ". ▁ ▁Iran ▁states ▁it ▁has ▁a ▁legal ▁right ▁to ▁en rich ▁u ran ium ▁for ▁peace ful ▁purposes ▁under ▁the ▁N PT , ▁and ▁further ▁says ▁that ▁it ▁" has ▁constantly ▁comp lied ▁with ▁its ▁oblig ations ▁under ▁the ▁N PT ▁and ▁the ▁Stat ute ▁of ▁the ▁International ▁At omic ▁Energy ▁Agency ". ▁Tw elve ▁other ▁countries ▁are ▁known ▁to ▁operate ▁u ran ium ▁en rich ment ▁facilities . ▁Iran ▁states ▁that ▁" the ▁failure ▁of ▁certain ▁N uc lear - ▁We ap on ▁States ▁to ▁ful fill ▁their ▁international ▁oblig ations ▁continue ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁source ▁of ▁threat ▁for ▁the ▁international ▁community ". ▁Iran ▁also ▁states ▁that ▁" the ▁only ▁country ▁that ▁has ▁ever ▁used ▁nuclear ▁weapons ▁still ▁maintain s ▁a ▁s izable ▁ar sen al ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁nuclear ▁war head s " ▁and ▁calls ▁for ▁a ▁stop ▁to ▁the ▁transfer ▁of ▁technology ▁to ▁non - N PT