News Direct: Negotiations Collapse! Iran Insists on $6 Billion, Challenges International Inspections
Beijing time: 2026-07-01 02:28
[New Tang Dynasty Beijing time July 1, 2026] Today's focus: US-Iran negotiations change, Iran insists on $6 billion; US pharmaceutical company investigated over CCP military hospital cooperation; Bessent reveals reason for Iran's return to negotiations; CITIC urgently denies rumors, but suspicions about the crash remain; US Supreme Court delivers three major rulings in one day; Henan's three former political and legal affairs committee chiefs all sentenced.
Hello, dear viewers, welcome to "News Direct." Today is Monday, June 29, Eastern Time.
US Envoy Arrives in Doha but No High-Level Meeting; Iran Demands $6 Billion First
The next round of negotiations between the United States and Iran is once again clouded with uncertainty. President Trump's envoy has arrived in Doha, but the US and Iran will not hold face-to-face high-level talks this round. Iran remains intransigent, insisting that it must first receive its unfrozen assets before beginning final negotiations.
Qatar's Foreign Ministry confirmed on Tuesday that President Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law and advisor, Jared Kushner, had arrived in Doha that day and met with Qatari mediators.
However, a spokesperson for Qatar's Foreign Ministry made it clear that there will be no high-level meeting between Washington and Tehran this round. This week, the two sides will mainly engage in "technical negotiations" on issues such as regional security, with the possibility of upgrading to a higher level later depending on the situation.
This statement differs from the White House's earlier expectations. On Monday, the White House said that Kushner and Witkoff would hold "high-level meetings," with technical discussions taking place simultaneously.
President Trump himself expressed skepticism on Monday about whether the Doha talks would achieve results, saying: "The meeting in Doha could be very important, or it could not be. We'll see."
The mediator, Qatar, revealed that the negotiations are currently advancing on three tracks: the nuclear issue, the economy and the state's capacity to fulfill commitments, and regional security. The spokesperson also confirmed that the key $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds have not yet been transferred to Tehran.
Iran said that "no meetings at any level with the US are scheduled in the coming days." Iran's Foreign Ministry emphasized that they will only participate in dialogues hosted by the mediator Qatar to implement the interim agreement with the US.
Analysts point out that by stressing that "the release of assets is the core of the interim agreement," Tehran is effectively signaling that if the $6 billion is not in hand, it will not begin final peace negotiations with the US.
On diplomatic and regional security fronts, Iran is acting aggressively.
Iran directly challenged the head of the UN nuclear watchdog (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, warning him to stop making political statements that "resemble election campaigning" and focus on his duties.
Iran also stated that control of the Strait of Hormuz does not require foreign interference, and that foreign involvement would only complicate the situation. It clarified that only political communication channels exist between the US and Iran, not a military hotline.
Iran even extended its grievances to the sports field, complaining that its national football team faced "the most severe politicized treatment" and hostility from the US during the World Cup.
As the standoff between the US and Iran over financial aid and control of the strait continues, the diplomatic negotiations in Doha face an extremely difficult tug-of-war at the technical level.
Now let's look at a brief news roundup:
India Refinery Fire: Over 20 Injured, Suspected Fuel Theft
In the early hours of today (June 30) local time, a massive fire broke out at an oil refinery in West Bengal, India, leaving more than 20 people injured, five of them in serious condition. Railway facilities were also affected, and some trains were temporarily suspended.
Thick smoke billowed into the sky, and the fire department deployed 12 fire trucks to extinguish the blaze. Preliminary investigations suggest the fire may have originated near a site suspected of illegal naphtha theft. Since naphtha is highly flammable, whether a pipeline leak caused the fire remains to be investigated.
US Supreme Court Upholds States' Rights, Bans Transgender Athletes in Women's Sports
The US Supreme Court today ruled in favor of West Virginia and Idaho, upholding laws that ban transgender student athletes from participating in women's sports.
The court held that public school sports teams can be divided by biological sex and that students who are biologically male cannot join women's sports teams.
This ruling provides legal grounds for other states to implement similar regulations. Currently, 25 states across the US have passed similar laws.
US Supreme Court Overturns Campaign Spending Limits
In its second major ruling today, the US Supreme Court struck down federal limits on coordinated campaign spending between political parties and candidates, in a 6-3 decision.
The majority of justices held that such limits infringe on free speech rights guaranteed by the First Amendment to the US Constitution, and therefore spending caps cannot be imposed. The ruling comes as the US approaches the midterm elections in November and has attracted widespread attention.
US Supreme Court Upholds Injunction, Trump's Birthright Citizenship Order Blocked
The US Supreme Court today also ruled on birthright citizenship, maintaining a lower court's injunction with a 6-3 vote. President Trump's executive order restricting birthright citizenship remains blocked.
The executive order stipulated that children born in the US to parents who are neither US citizens nor lawful permanent residents would not automatically acquire US citizenship.
Bessent: Beijing Becomes Sole Oil Buyer, Iran Forced Back to Negotiating Table
Today (June 30), US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an interview with Fox News that a major reason Iran is now willing to negotiate with the US is that it is increasingly difficult to sell its oil.
He said that Iran now has only one buyer, Beijing, and is selling at a discount. Other countries, fearing the reimposition of US sanctions, mostly dare not buy Iranian oil. The growing economic pressure has forced Tehran back to the negotiating table.
Bessent also called on gas stations across the US to lower fuel prices as quickly as possible in anticipation of the 250th anniversary of America's founding this Saturday, warning: "We are watching you."
He said that international oil prices have already fallen, and gas stations should pass the savings on to consumers. Whether large oil companies, independent gas stations, or chain convenience stores, they all should shoulder the responsibility.
In fact, President Trump had already warned yesterday, demanding that gas stations immediately lower prices, hoping to bring the price per gallon to about $2.50. He said that international oil prices have dropped to around $68 per barrel, but retail prices have not followed suit, and that profiteering by price gouging will lead to "big trouble."
Trump also specifically criticized states like California with high fuel taxes, arguing that high taxes push up fuel prices, costing ordinary people more.
After the US and Israel jointly struck Iran in late February, tensions in the Middle East escalated, and international oil prices surged. However, after the US and Iran reached a preliminary agreement this month and the Strait of Hormuz reopened for navigation, market concerns about oil supply have significantly eased, and oil prices have fallen.
The market is now watching the new round of US-Iran talks. International oil prices are expected to post their biggest quarterly decline since the early days of the pandemic.
US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude is set for a second consecutive monthly decline, down about 19% in June; Brent crude is expected to fall for a third consecutive month, dropping about 20% in June. Both major oil benchmarks have returned to levels before the current Middle East war. As more oil tankers resume passage, market concerns about supply continue to ease.
US Pharmaceutical Giants Under Investigation for Cooperation with CCP Military Hospitals
A bipartisan group of US lawmakers formally launched a national security investigation on Monday. The investigation targets two global pharmaceutical giants—Merck and AbbVie—to determine whether their clinical trials in China have participated in and contributed to the capacity building of the Chinese Communist Party's military.
According to Reuters, the US House Select Committee on China has sent letters to both companies, demanding that they submit detailed information by July 17 on due diligence, data protection procedures, and other security standards at their trial sites in China. Sites in Xinjiang and at Chinese military hospitals are the focus of this national security investigation.
According to data disclosed by the committee, the two US pharmaceutical companies have extensive clinical research operations in China.
Since 2005, Merck has funded or collaborated on 224 clinical studies in China, including at least 31 trials in Xinjiang and 40 trials at medical centers and hospitals affiliated with the CCP military.
Since 2007, AbbVie has funded or collaborated on more than 100 clinical studies in China, including at least 17 sites in Xinjiang and 16 sites at military centers.
In the letters, US lawmakers pointed out that there are records showing Chinese researchers have been lax in obtaining "informed consent" from trial participants, questioning ethical risks at sites in Xinjiang.
The letters also emphasized that conducting these studies at CCP military hospitals could expose cutting-edge biotechnology intellectual property of US companies to potential transfer to the CCP military.
The committee wrote in letters to both CEOs that while there is no evidence of illegal activity or misconduct by the companies, conducting such trials in China exposes US companies to ethical and security risks.
The letters also cited industry research data showing that China has surpassed the US in the number of clinical trials in recent years.
From 2015 to 2024, the US share of global early-stage drug development projects fell from 48% to 37%, while China's share soared from 8% to over 32%.
The lawmakers believe that through regulatory reforms and state subsidies, the CCP has transformed China into the lowest-cost and fastest place for early-stage human drug trials globally.
In response, Merck said that patient safety and ethical integrity are the top priorities of its clinical research program, and that its operations in China comply with all global guidelines. AbbVie declined to comment.
"Liu Junhua" Plane Crashes into Building? CITIC Video Denies, but Doubts Persist
On Monday, CIB Wealth Management, a subsidiary of CITIC Bank, released a video of its executive Liu Junhua's business work, which was widely seen as an attempt to deny rumors about a small plane crashing into the CITIC building last week. However, the video did not fully dispel public doubts.
The video, titled "In Conversation with CIB Wealth Management's Liu Junhua: Building a Complete 'Fixed Income+' Capability Pyramid," conspicuously displayed Monday's date in the upper right corner. After the small plane crashed into the CITIC Building (Zhongguo Zun) on Friday, June 26, online messages in aviation industry groups claimed that the pilot involved was named "Liu Junhua," coincidentally the same name as an executive at a CITIC wealth management company. The striking coincidence sparked speculation that "an employee flew a plane into the company's building."
Although CITIC had previously released a written interview with Liu Junhua on Saturday, the lack of images fueled further rumors, prompting the urgent release of the video on Monday to deny them again.
CITIC's vigorous denials, combined with the official concealment of key information, have made the incident even more mysterious.
Independent commentator Cai Shenkun said that after the crash, the authorities were tight-lipped, and the most anxious was actually CITIC Group. He questioned: "Why doesn't the state media directly answer who Liu Junhua, the pilot who crashed into the building, is? Why continue to hide the truth as public opinion festers?"
Some netizens also said: "The most likely reason for the official silence is that the CCP hasn't figured out how to handle it, and the supreme authority Xi Jinping hasn't set the tone yet. The incident is too sensitive and involves too many departments and systems, far beyond the scope of any single department. Without Xi Jinping's go-ahead, no one dares to act."
Many netizens lamented that the authorities have actually "made a simple matter complicated": if it were just an ordinary flight accident, revealing the victim's identity would suffice; if it were a malicious act, the motive should be disclosed promptly. The more they cover up, the more speculation grows.
In fact, since the incident on the 26th, the authorities have imposed strict information censorship. Nearly a day later, the "Beijing Chaoyang" official WeChat account released an extremely brief notice saying that a light sport aircraft had collided with a high-rise building, resulting in the pilot's death and 13 ground injuries.
The notice did not mention the pilot's identity at all, and even deliberately omitted the name of the building "Zhongguo Zun" and its specific location. This "drip-feed" level of transparency is the root cause of the current rumors.
Liu Mancang Sentenced to Life: Three Consecutive Political and Legal Affairs Chiefs in Henan Fall
Another "political and legal tiger" in Henan has fallen. Today (June 30), Liu Mancang, former deputy director of the Henan Provincial People's Congress and former secretary of the provincial political and legal affairs committee, was sentenced to life imprisonment for bribery.
As of now, three consecutive secretaries of the Henan Provincial Political and Legal Affairs Committee have all been sentenced.
Liu Mancang was found to have used his power from 1997 to 2024 to accept property worth over 170 million yuan, directly or through relatives, involving business operations, land remediation, and real estate development. Due to the particularly large amount of bribes and significant losses caused, the court sentenced him to life imprisonment, stripped him of political rights for life, and confiscated all personal property.
Public records show Liu Mancang was born in 1955 in Xixia County, Henan. He worked in Henan for a long time, serving as mayor of Shangqiu, party secretary of Shangqiu, vice governor of Henan, secretary of the provincial political and legal affairs committee, and deputy director of the provincial people's congress standing committee.
Liu Mancang was investigated in October 2024 and expelled from the CCP in April 2025.
The official announcement at the time stated that he engaged in superstitious activities, was greedy and corrupt, and continued to use his influence for personal gain after retirement, accepting huge amounts of money and property.
Notably, including Liu Mancang, three consecutive secretaries of the Henan Provincial Political and Legal Affairs Committee have fallen in recent years. Previously, Wu Tianjun was sentenced to 11 years in 2017, and Gan Rongkun was sentenced to life in 2023.
Additionally, during their tenures, all three actively followed the CCP in persecuting Falun Gong and were listed by the overseas organization "International Organization for Investigating and Prosecuting the Persecution of Falun Gong" (IIPPF).
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"News Direct" Production Team
(Responsible Editor: Liu Ming)
