【News Direct】Negotiations Collapse! Iran Clings to $6 Billion, Challenges International Inspections
[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 ties with Chinese military hospitals; Bessent reveals reason for Iran's return to negotiations; CITIC urgently denies rumors, building collision mystery deepens; US Supreme Court makes three major rulings in one day; Henan's three successive political-legal chiefs all sentenced.
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 US-Iran negotiations is once again full of uncertainty. President Trump's envoy has arrived in Doha, but the two sides will not hold face-to-face high-level talks this round. Iran takes a tough stance, insisting it must receive the unfrozen assets before starting final negotiations.
Qatar's Foreign Ministry confirmed on Tuesday that President Trump's envoy Witkoff and his son-in-law and adviser Kushner arrived in Doha that day and met with Qatari mediators.
However, the Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson explicitly stated that there will be no high-level meeting between Washington and Tehran this round. This week, the two sides will mainly conduct "technical negotiations" on regional security and other issues, with the possibility of upgrading to a higher level later.
This statement differs from the White House's earlier expectations. On Monday, the White House said Kushner and Witkoff would hold "high-level meetings," with technical discussions simultaneously.
President Trump himself expressed skepticism on Monday about whether the Doha talks would yield results, saying: "The Doha meeting could be very important, or it could be unimportant. We'll see."
The mediator Qatar revealed that the negotiations are currently advancing on three tracks: nuclear issues, economy and national implementation capacity, 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 it has "no meetings with the US at any level scheduled in the coming days." The Iranian Foreign Ministry emphasized that they will only participate in dialogue hosted by mediator Qatar to implement the interim agreement with the US.
Analysts point out that Tehran's emphasis on "asset release being the core of the interim agreement" is essentially hinting: if the $6 billion is not secured, it will not engage in final peace negotiations with the US.
On diplomacy and regional security, Iran is being aggressive. Iran directly challenged the head of the UN nuclear watchdog (IAEA), Grossi, warning him to stop making political statements "resembling electioneering" and focus on his job. Iran also claimed that control of the Strait of Hormuz does not need external interference, and foreign involvement only complicates the situation. It clarified that only political communication channels exist between the US and Iran, not a military hotline. Iran even extended its dissatisfaction to sports, complaining that its national football team faced "the most severe politicized treatment" and hostility from the US during the World Cup.
As the stalemate over financial aid and strait control continues, the diplomatic negotiations in Doha face an extremely difficult tug-of-war at the technical level.
Now a brief news roundup:
[Indian Refinery Fire Injures Over 20, Suspected Linked to Oil Theft]
Around midnight on Tuesday (June 30), a fire broke out at a refinery in West Bengal, India, injuring over 20 people, five of them seriously. Railway facilities were also affected, causing some trains to be suspended. Thick smoke billowed into the sky. The fire department deployed 12 fire trucks to extinguish the blaze. Preliminary investigation suggests the fire may have started near a site suspected of illegal naphtha theft. Since naphtha is highly flammable, whether a pipeline leak caused the fire remains under investigation.
[US Supreme Court Supports States, Bans Transgender Athletes from Women's Sports]
The US Supreme Court ruled today to support West Virginia and Idaho laws prohibiting transgender student athletes from participating in women's sports. The Court held that public school sports teams may be divided by biological sex and may bar students who are biologically male from joining women's teams. This ruling provides legal basis for other states to implement similar laws. Currently, 25 states have passed similar laws.
[US Supreme Court Overturns Campaign Spending Limits]
The US Supreme Court announced its second major ruling today, voting 6-3 to overturn federal limits on coordinated campaign spending by parties and candidates. The majority of justices argued that such limits violate the freedom of speech protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution, so no spending caps can be set. This ruling comes ahead of the November midterm elections.
[US Supreme Court Upholds Injunction, Trump's Birthright Citizenship Order Blocked]
The US Supreme Court also ruled on birthright citizenship today, upholding a lower court injunction 6-3. Trump's executive order restricting birthright citizenship remains blocked. The order would deny automatic US citizenship to children born in the US if both parents are not US citizens or legal permanent residents.
[Bessent: Beijing Becomes Only Oil Buyer, Iran Forced Back to Negotiating Table]
Today (June 30), US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News that an important reason Iran is now willing to negotiate with the US is that it is increasingly difficult to sell oil. He said Iran now has only Beijing as a buyer, and at a discount. Other countries are afraid of renewed US sanctions, so most 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 prices as soon as possible for the nation's 250th anniversary this Saturday, warning: "We are watching you." He said international oil prices have fallen, and gas stations should pass the savings to consumers. Whether large oil companies, independent stations, or convenience store chains, they should take responsibility. In fact, President Trump had already warned yesterday, demanding gas stations lower prices immediately, hoping to bring the price per gallon to around $2.50. He said international oil prices have fallen to about $68 per barrel, but retail prices have not followed, and profiteering will bring "big trouble." Trump also criticized states like California with high fuel taxes, arguing that high taxes push up gas prices. After the US-Israel strike on Iran in late February, the Middle East situation tightened and oil prices spiked. But this month, a preliminary US-Iran agreement reopened the Strait of Hormuz, easing supply concerns and driving oil prices down. The market is now watching the new round of US-Iran talks. International oil prices are on track for their biggest quarterly drop since the early pandemic. US WTI crude is expected to fall for a second straight month, down about 19% in June; Brent crude is expected to fall for a third month, down about 20% in June. Both benchmark prices have returned to pre-war levels as more tankers resume passage.
[US Pharmaceutical Giant Investigated for Ties with Chinese Military Hospitals]
A bipartisan group of US lawmakers 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 contributed to the capability building of the Chinese Communist Party's military. According to Reuters, the US House Select Committee on China sent deadlines to both companies, requiring them to submit detailed information on due diligence, data protection processes, and other safety standards at their trial sites in China by July 17. Sites in Xinjiang and Chinese military hospitals are the focus of this national security investigation. According to committee data, both companies have extensive clinical research footprints in China. Since 2005, Merck has funded or collaborated on 224 clinical studies in China, including at least 31 trials in Xinjiang and 40 at medical centers and hospitals affiliated with the CCP military. Since 2007, AbbVie has funded or collaborated on over 100 clinical studies in China, including at least 17 sites in Xinjiang and 16 at military centers. Lawmakers noted records show Chinese researchers have shortcomings in obtaining informed consent from trial participants, questioning ethical risks at Xinjiang sites. The letter also emphasized that conducting these studies in CCP military hospitals may expose US companies to the risk of intellectual property transfer to the CCP military. The committee wrote to the CEOs of both companies that while there is no evidence of illegal activity or misconduct, such trials in China expose US firms to ethical and security risks. The letter cited industry data showing China has surpassed the US in the number of clinical trials in recent years. From 2015 to 2024, the US share of early-stage drug development projects globally fell from 48% to 37%, while China's share surged from 8% to over 32%. Lawmakers believe the CCP has transformed China into the cheapest and fastest place for early human drug trials through regulatory reforms and state subsidies. Merck responded that patient safety and ethical integrity are top priorities for its clinical research programs and that its operations in China follow all global guidelines. AbbVie declined to comment.
[Liu Junhua Plane Crash Building? CITIC Video Denial Fails to Quell Doubts]
On Monday, CITIC Bank's wealth management subsidiary released a business video featuring its executive Liu Junhua, seen as an attempt to deny rumors surrounding last week's small plane crash into the CITIC building. However, the video did not fully dispel doubts. The video, titled "Dialogue with CITIC Wealth Management Liu Junhua: Building a Complete Capability Pyramid for 'Fixed Income+'", prominently marked Monday's date. After the small plane crash into the CITIC Tower (China Zun) on June 26 (last Friday), online groups within the aviation industry claimed the pilot was named "Liu Junhua." Coincidentally, a CITIC wealth management executive shares the same name, sparking speculation of an employee ramming the building. Although CITIC released a text interview with Liu Junhua on Saturday, the lack of images allowed rumors to persist, prompting the urgent video release on Monday. CITIC's efforts to clarify, but official concealment of key information has only deepened the mystery. Independent commentator Cai Shenkun said: "After the crash, officials remained tight-lipped. The most anxious is CITIC Group. Why don't state media directly answer who the pilot Liu Junhua is? Why continue to hide the truth as public opinion swirls?" Some netizens said: "The most likely reason for official silence is that the CCP hasn't decided how to handle it; the supreme authority Xi Jinping hasn't set the tone. The incident is too sensitive and involves too many departments, far beyond any single department's capacity. Without Xi's word, no one dares act." Many netizens lamented that officials "made a simple matter complicated": if it was just an ordinary accident, releasing the pilot's identity would suffice; if malicious, the motive should be disclosed. The more they hide, the more speculation grows. After the incident, authorities imposed strict information lockdown. Nearly a day later, the "Beijing Chaoyang" official account released an extremely brief notice saying a light sports aircraft collided with a high-rise, killing the pilot and injuring 13 on the ground. The notice omitted the pilot's identity and even the name and location of the struck building "China Zun." This "drip-feed" transparency is the root cause of rampant rumors.
[Liu Mancang Sentenced to Life; Henan's Third Successive Political-Legal Chief Falls]
Another "political-legal tiger" in Henan has fallen. On Tuesday (June 30), Liu Mancang, former deputy director of the Henan Provincial People's Congress and former secretary of the provincial political-legal committee, was sentenced to life imprisonment for bribery. So far, three successive Henan provincial party political-legal committee secretaries have been sentenced. Liu was found to have accepted over 170 million yuan in bribes from 1997 to 2024, using his power to benefit others in business operations, land remediation, and real estate development. Due to the particularly huge amount and major losses, the court sentenced him to life, deprived of political rights for life, and confiscated all personal property. Public records show Liu was born in 1955 in Xixia County, Henan. He spent his career in Henan, serving as mayor and party secretary of Shangqiu, vice governor of Henan, provincial political-legal committee secretary, and deputy director of the provincial people's congress. He was investigated in October 2024 and expelled from the CCP in April 2025. The official notice said he engaged in superstitious activities, was greedy and corrupt, and continued to use his influence for personal gain after retirement, receiving huge amounts of money. Notably, including Liu, three successive Henan provincial political-legal committee secretaries have fallen: Wu Tianjun was sentenced to 11 years in 2017, and Gan Rongkun was sentenced to life in 2023. During their tenures, all three actively pursued the persecution of Falun Gong and were placed on the wanted list by the International Organization for Tracking Persecution of Falun Gong (Zhuicha International).
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News Direct Production Team
(Editor: Liu Ming)
