In an interview with state broadcaster IRIB, Araghchi said the possibility of restarting talks was under consideration but would depend on whether Tehran’s national interests were protected.
“Our decisions will be based solely on Iran’s interests,” he said. “If our interests require a return to negotiations, we will consider it. But at this stage, no agreement or promise has been made and no talks have taken place.”
Araghchi accused Washington of betraying Iran during previous rounds of negotiations on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal and lifting U.S. sanctions.
The Iranian diplomat also confirmed that a law suspending cooperation with the United Nations nuclear watchdog had become binding after being passed by parliament and approved by the Guardian Council, a top constitutional oversight body.
“The law is now obligatory and will be implemented. Our cooperation with the IAEA will take a new shape,” he said.
Araghchi also said the damage caused by the 12-day war with Israel was “serious” and that experts from the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran were conducting a detailed assessment. He said the question of demanding reparations was high on the government’s agenda.
The conflict began on June 13 when Israel launched airstrikes on multiple targets across Iran, including military and nuclear facilities, killing several senior commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians. The attacks came just days before Iran and the United States were expected to resume indirect nuclear negotiations in Muscat, Oman, on June 15.
In response, Iran launched waves of missile and drone strikes on Israel, causing casualties and damage.
On Saturday, the U.S. Air Force struck three key Iranian nuclear sites. In retaliation, Iran fired missiles at the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Monday.
The 12-day conflict ended with a ceasefire between Iran and Israel on Tuesday.
The initiative aimed to improve the residents’ health by bringing much-needed healthcare services to the community.
The outreach included screening and treatment for a variety of illnesses. Community members were tested and treated for malaria. In addition to general healthcare, the team conducted hepatitis screening and treated eye conditions, offering support to individuals suffering from vision-related issues.
Speaking at the event, Col Leodomir Uwizeyimana, Rwanbatt3 Contingent Commander who represented the Rwandan contingents in UNMISS, commended the collaborative spirit between the peacekeepers and the local community, stating: “This outreach reflects our commitment not only to peace and security, but also to the well-being of the people we serve. Health is the foundation of lasting peace.”
Laat Gatluak, Chief of Amadi Village, applauded the positive relationship between the Rwandan peacekeepers and the local community, particularly highlighting their support for various community service initiatives.
Located in a prime area near key services such as Chillax Lounge in Nyarutarama, King Faisal Hospital, Kigali Heights, Radisson Blu Hotel & Convention Centre, various embassies, government offices, and the Kigali Golf Club, the hotel will be an integral part of the city’s urban fabric. The development will also include commercial spaces, 60 hotel rooms, restaurants, and modern fitness facilities, with a completion date set for June 2026.
The apartments will come in five types, including one-bedroom units spanning 96 square meters, which will have a kitchen, living room, bathroom, and balcony. These units, located from the ground floor to the fourth floor, will be priced at $144,000 for the lower floors and $148,800 for the upper floors.
Additionally, the development includes 30 two-bedroom apartments ranging from 130 to 140 square meters. Prices for these units will start at $195,000 for lower-floor apartments, and $201,500 for those on the third and fourth floors.
There will also be two-bedroom apartments with 140 square meters, each offering private bathrooms, a living room, and a modern balcony. These will be priced at $246,400 for lower-floor apartments, and $254,100 for the upper floors.
For those seeking more space, five three-bedroom apartments will be available, measuring 175 square meters. These will feature multiple bathrooms, a living room, and a balcony. These units will be priced at $308,000 for lower-floor apartments and $317,625 for those on the third and fourth floors.
At the top of the building, four penthouse apartments measuring 400 square meters each will offer five bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. These luxurious units will be priced at $748,000 (over 1 billion Rwandan Francs) and will come with modern amenities.
In addition to residential units, the Royal Golf View Apartment Hotel will offer a commercial area and over 100 parking spaces. Buyers will be able to pay in installments, with 30% due at the start of construction, 30% by September 2015, and the remaining balance by January 2026, ahead of the grand opening in June 2026.
Developed by DND Triangle Real Estate Developers Ltd, founded in 2025, this project aims to provide high-end, accessible housing in Kigali. It is supported by BWH Hotels, a prominent global hotel brand with over 4,700 properties across 100+ countries.
{{Photos showing the artistic impression of Royal Golf View Apartment Hotel}}
Speaking with evident scepticism, Tshisekedi said that Trump, as the leader of one of the world’s most powerful nations, could potentially bring an end to the conflict that has lasted for over 30 years in eastern DRC.
“If this senseless war ends — a war that has killed hundreds of thousands, possibly more than those lost in World War II — and if Trump can bring it to an end through mediation, then he would truly deserve the Nobel Prize. I would be the first to vote for him,” he stated.
Tshisekedi’s administration is at war with the M23 rebel group, and its collaboration with the FDLR militia, which is linked to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, has heightened tensions with Rwanda. The upcoming agreement in Washington is seen as a step toward lasting peace.
Pakistan recently made a public nomination of Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, citing his role in halting the conflict between Pakistan and India in April and May 2025.
U.S. Congressman Buddy Carter has also submitted Trump’s nomination, based on his involvement in brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Iran in the war, which lasted from June 13 to 24.
The swap involved soldiers under the age of 25, as well as ill and wounded servicemen from the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the National Guard and the State Border Guard Service, the agency said in a statement.
Most of those released had been in captivity for more than three years, with some having taken part in the battles for Mariupol, the statement said.
All returning soldiers will undergo medical examination, receive psychological support and physical rehabilitation, it said.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized in his post on Telegram the importance of bringing all Ukrainians home from Russian captivity.
Emelyine Mutoni, a farmer from Kayonza District in eastern Rwanda, said that ever since she learnt mushroom farming with Juncao technology in 2020, it has been an exciting moment in her family’s fight against poverty.
She was taught the technique by Leonidas Mushimiyimana, one of the early adopters of Juncao technology and the owner of DEYI Ltd. in Kigali’s Gasabo District.
After a three-month training, Mutoni can now produce mushroom tubes, which she sells to other farmers for cultivation. Her company has increased production capacity from about 500 tubes per month to 5,000.
“I observed high levels of malnutrition among children in my area and felt I should play a role in helping address the problem,” Mutoni told Xinhua.
“Mushroom farming is the best thing to do. I look forward to expanding my business to produce mushrooms and other mushroom products for export,” she added.
Originally developed and used for mushroom farming in China, Juncao is a hybrid grass and a valuable multifunctional agricultural resource. The innovation, invented by Lin Zhanxi from China’s Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University in the 1980s, has benefited over 100 countries, including Rwanda.
Christine Uwimanihaye, another exhibitor, said their company, Omer Shop Ltd., makes mushroom tubes and grows mushrooms as well.
“We are in horticulture, but our main focus is mushroom production because of their unique nutritional content. From mushrooms, we produce several byproducts, including flour and biscuits,” she said.
Like Mutoni, Uwimanihaye was also introduced to mushroom farming by some early adopters of the Juncao technology.
According to the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board, over 4,000 Rwandan farmers have benefited from Juncao technology, which has created more than 30,000 jobs across the agricultural value chain.
Since 2006, experts from China’s Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University have been collaborating with the Rwandan government on Juncao technology, teaching and promoting it alongside other agricultural innovations through the China-Rwanda Agriculture Technology Demonstration Center.
The WTO’s latest Goods Trade Barometer, a composite leading indicator for global merchandise trade, rose to 103.5 from 102.8 in March. The rise was driven by importers frontloading purchases ahead of anticipated higher tariffs, the WTO said.
Barometer values above 100 indicate above-trend trade volumes, while values below 100 suggest that goods trade has either fallen below trend or is likely to decline in the near future.
However, the forward-looking new export orders index fell to 97.9, pointing to weaker trade growth later in the year, the WTO said.
The WTO has forecast a basically flat growth in global merchandise trade at 0.1 percent, after the U.S. tariff policy uncertainty and subsequent developments had caused fluctuations in the forecast.
The WTO warned of possible trade contraction if U.S. “reciprocal tariffs” are reinstated or if trade policy uncertainty spreads globally.
The five-paragraph statement outlined that the new spending target will be split between two key categories: 3.5 percent for core defense and 1.5 percent for related areas, including critical infrastructure, networks, and defense industrial capabilities.
The plan will undergo a review in 2029, taking into account the strategic environment and revised capability targets, the document added.
U.S. President Donald Trump hailed the agreement at a press conference after the summit, asserting that Washington had long carried more than its fair share of the alliance’s defense burden.
However, he singled out Spain, criticising Madrid as the only country refusing to meet its full commitment.
Trump said the United States is negotiating a trade deal with Spain and warned that Madrid could be made to “pay twice as much” through trade measures.
Spain has agreed with NATO to limit its military spending to 2.1 percent of GDP, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Sunday, ahead of the NATO summit.
In his Sunday statement, Sanchez warned that “rushing toward 5 percent” would lead to rising prices and public spending, and reduce investment in key sectors such as education and digital development.
Calling the 5 percent target “disproportionate and unnecessary” for Spain, Sanchez emphasized that Spain is “one of the five NATO countries with the most troops deployed worldwide.” He also stressed that “asymmetry within NATO is normal and inevitable,” citing the economic diversity among allies.
He made the remarks in a video message broadcast by state-run IRIB TV while congratulating the Iranian nation on its “victory” in the war with Israel and the United States.
“Despite all its propaganda and claims, Israel was almost knocked down and crushed under Iran’s blows,” said Khamenei.
He added that the Iranian missiles and other weapons managed to pass through Israel’s “advanced multi-layered defense” and raze to the ground many of Israel’s urban and military areas.
Khamenei said Israel should know that any aggression against Iran would be heavily costly for it.
He added the United States entered the war to rescue Israel, “but accomplished nothing from this war.”
He noted that the United States exaggerated its achievements in the war because they failed to achieve their objective and needed that to cover up the truth, emphasizing that “here again, the Islamic Republic of Iran achieved victory and responded by giving the United States a harsh slap in the face.”
Khamenei said Iran attacked U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, “which is among the U.S. important bases in the West Asia region,” and inflicted damages, stressing that some sought to downplay it and said nothing had happened.
On June 13, Israel launched major airstrikes on different areas in Iran, including nuclear and military sites, killing several senior commanders, nuclear scientists and many civilians. Iran responded by launching several waves of missile and drone attacks on Israel, inflicting casualties and damage.
On Saturday, the U.S. Air Force bombed three Iranian nuclear sites of Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. In retaliation, Iran on Monday struck the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar with missiles.
Following the 12-day war, a ceasefire between Iran and Israel was achieved on Tuesday.
This announcement was made during a media briefing ahead of the ‘Nuclear Energy Innovation Summit for Africa: NESIA 2025’, which will be held in Kigali, bringing together experts from 30 countries to discuss harnessing nuclear energy.
Rwanda has been pursuing nuclear energy for nearly seven years with the goal of fostering development. In 2018, the country began collaborating with Russia to establish a research center focused on nuclear energy, which will help increase the nation’s electricity production.
In August 2024, Rwanda signed a memorandum of understanding with the American company ‘Nano Nuclear Energy Inc.’ for the deployment of small modular reactors and microreactors.
A year earlier, the Rwandan government had signed an agreement with Dual Fluid Energy Inc., a company based in Germany and Canada, to test nuclear energy technologies in Rwanda.
The plans focus on constructing small plants using ‘Small Modular Reactors’ and ‘Micro Reactors’, which require minimal land, offer high output, and do not pose any significant risks to the population. These facilities will require between 220 and 250 employees across four categories.
By 2024, over 200 Rwandan students and RAEB staff were expected to be sent abroad to gain expertise in nuclear energy.
Dr. Fidel Ndahayo, the CEO of RAEB, said, “We now have a clear vision where we can say ‘we need a plant that can provide this much electricity, and we can place it here or there.’”
He further explained that multiple sites had been considered for the plant, but further detailed analysis is needed to assess factors like land suitability, seismic risks, and other environmental considerations.
He added that the chosen technology for the plant would be small reactors capable of producing substantial energy, with a site range of 15 to 50 hectares, located away from residential areas.
“We can still find a 50-hectare site to build the plant, even with high population density,” Dr. Ndahayo said.
In an interview with IGIHE, Dr. Ndahayo continued, “Our goal is to have the plant operational by 2030. We will need 234 workers, and we aim to have them trained by 2028.”
He also mentioned that as many organizations focus on new technologies for harnessing nuclear energy, Rwanda is positioning itself early to ensure its workforce is well-equipped to adopt and market this technology.
Dr. Ndahayo noted that around 30 to 50 experts in nuclear energy have already completed their studies and are now working at RAEB, while another 200 are gaining experience in advanced countries.
Some of these students will graduate next year, with others following in subsequent years.
“We continue to send more students abroad; this year, over 40 students will be sent. We have agreements with countries like Hungary, and we are looking to collaborate with China and South Korea,” he said.
He also highlighted ongoing efforts to establish local educational programs. For example, the University of Rwanda has already confirmed the launch of such programs, and similar plans are underway at technical and vocational schools.
Regarding the plant’s location, Dr. Ndahayo confirmed that the final site has not yet been decided, as feasibility studies are still ongoing. However, he is confident that suitable land for the plant exists in Rwanda.
Dr. Jimmy Gasore, the Minister of Infrastructure, emphasized that small modular reactors (SMRs) are safer and more aligned with Rwanda’s energy needs.
He explained that large plants producing over 1,000 MW are not practical in many parts of Africa. Instead, small plants producing up to 100 MW are more appropriate for Rwanda’s capacity.
As the minister, these reactors require less land and are less likely to cause significant environmental risks compared to larger plants.
Rwanda is working closely with various nuclear energy companies to explore technologies, including the nuclear reactor, which is the core component of the energy plant.
The reactor uses uranium to produce heat through nuclear fission, which is then converted into electricity. A single gram of uranium can generate 1 MW of energy per day, which is equivalent to the energy produced by three tons of coal.
As of January 2025, Rwanda had already achieved a capacity of generating 406.4 MW of electricity. With the new nuclear plants, the country aims to significantly increase its energy output.
