News Direct: Negotiations Collapse! Iran Clings to $6 Billion, Challenges International Inspections
【Ntdtv Beijing Time July 1, 2026】Today's Focus: US-Iran negotiations change, Iran stubbornly demands $6 billion; US pharmaceutical company investigated over ties with Chinese military; Bessent reveals reason for Iran's return to negotiations; CITIC rushes to deny rumors, but plane crash mystery deepens; US Supreme Court delivers three major rulings in one day; Henan's three former political-legal chiefs all sentenced.
Hello 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 talks is again fraught with uncertainty. President Trump's special envoy has arrived in Doha, but the two sides will not hold face-to-face high-level meetings this round. Iran remains tough, insisting it must receive unfrozen assets before starting final negotiations.
Qatar's Foreign Ministry confirmed Tuesday that President Trump's special envoy Witkoff and son-in-law and advisor Kushner arrived in Doha that day and met with Qatari mediators.
However, a Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman made clear there would be no high-level meeting between Washington and Tehran this round. This week, the two sides will mainly hold "technical talks" on regional security and other issues, with possible upgrades later depending on the situation.
This statement differs from White House expectations. On Monday, the White House said Kushner and Witkoff would hold "high-level meetings," with technical discussions simultaneously.
President Trump himself expressed doubt Monday about whether the Doha talks would yield results, saying: "The meeting in Doha could be very important, or it could not. We'll see."
The mediator Qatar revealed that talks are currently progressing on three tracks: nuclear issues, economy and national capacity, and regional security. The spokesman confirmed that the key $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds have not yet been transferred to Tehran.
Iran said there are "no meetings at any level with the US side in the coming days." The Iranian Foreign Ministry emphasized they will only participate in dialogues hosted by mediator Qatar to implement the interim agreement with the US.
Analysts point out that Tehran's emphasis on "the release of assets is the core of the interim agreement" is effectively hinting: if the $6 billion is not secured, they will not start final peace talks with the US.
In diplomacy and regional security, Iran is acting aggressively.
Iran directly challenged the head of the UN nuclear watchdog (IAEA), Grossi, warning him to stop making "election campaign-like" political statements and focus on his job.
Iran also said control of the Strait of Hormuz does not need external interference, and foreign involvement will only complicate the situation. It also clarified that there are only political communication channels between the US and Iran, no military hotline.
Iran even extended its displeasure to sports, complaining that its national football team faced "the most severe politicization" and hostility from the US during the World Cup.
As the US-Iran standoff over financial aid and control of the Strait continues, the diplomatic talks in Doha are facing an extremely difficult tug-of-war at the technical level.
Now let's look at a series of news briefs:
India Oil Refinery Fire: Over 20 Injured, Suspected Oil Theft
Early this morning local time (June 30), a massive fire broke out at an oil refinery in West Bengal, India, injuring over 20 people, five of them seriously. Railway facilities were also affected, and some trains were halted.
Thick smoke billowed into the sky, and the fire department deployed 12 fire trucks to put out the blaze. Preliminary investigations suggest the fire may have started near a location suspected of illegal naphtha theft. Since naphtha is highly flammable, whether a pipeline leak caused the fire awaits further investigation.
US Supreme Court Supports States Banning Transgender Athletes from Women's Sports
The US Supreme Court ruled today to support West Virginia and Idaho laws banning transgender student athletes from participating in women's sports.
The court held that public school sports teams can be divided by biological sex, and students who are biologically male can be barred from joining women's sports teams.
This ruling also provides legal basis for other states to implement similar regulations. Currently, 25 states across the US have passed similar laws.
US Supreme Court Strikes Down Campaign Spending Limits
The US Supreme Court announced a second major ruling today, striking down, in a 6-3 decision, federal limits on coordinated campaign spending between parties and candidates.
The majority of justices held that such limits violate the free speech rights protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution, so expenditure caps cannot be set. This ruling comes as the US heads toward the November midterm elections and draws significant attention.
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 in a 6-3 decision, meaning Trump's executive order limiting birthright citizenship remains blocked for now.
The executive order would deny automatic US citizenship to children born in the US if both parents are not US citizens or lawful permanent residents.
[Bessent: Beijing Becomes Sole Oil Buyer, Iran Forced Back to Negotiating Table]
Today (June 30), US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News that a key reason Iran is now willing to negotiate with the US is that it's increasingly difficult to sell oil.
He said Iran now has only one buyer, Beijing, and at a discount. Other countries, fearing renewed US sanctions, mostly dare not buy Iranian oil, and growing economic pressure has forced Tehran back to the negotiating table.
Bessent also called on gas stations nationwide to lower prices as soon as possible ahead of this Saturday's 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, warning: "We are watching you."
He said international oil prices have fallen, and gas stations should pass the price cuts on to consumers. Large oil companies, independent gas stations, and convenience store chains should all take responsibility.
President Trump had already posted a warning yesterday demanding that gas stations immediately lower prices, hoping for a price of about $2.50 per gallon. He said international oil prices have fallen to about $68 per barrel, but retail prices haven't followed, and profiteering must not be allowed, or there will be "big trouble."
Trump also criticized states like California with high fuel taxes, saying high taxes push up prices and cost ordinary people extra money.
After the US and Israel struck Iran at the end of February, the Middle East situation tensed and international oil prices spiked. However, after the US and Iran reached a preliminary agreement this month and the Strait of Hormuz reopened, market concerns about crude supply eased, and prices fell steadily.
Markets are now watching the new round of US-Iran talks. International oil prices are expected to post their largest quarterly drop since the early days of the pandemic.
WTI crude is expected to fall for the second consecutive month, dropping about 19% in June; Brent crude is expected to fall for the third consecutive month, down about 20% in June. Both major oil prices have returned to pre-war levels, and as more tankers resume passage, supply concerns continue to ease.
[US Pharmaceutical Giants Under Investigation for Collaboration with Chinese Military Hospitals]
A bipartisan group of US lawmakers formally launched a national security investigation Monday. The investigation targets two global pharmaceutical giants, Merck and AbbVie, to determine whether their clinical trials in China have participated in and facilitated the capacity building of the Chinese Communist Party's military.
According to Reuters, the House Select Committee on China has sent deadline notices to the two 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 data disclosed by the committee, the two US drug companies have extensive clinical R&D 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 trials at medical centers and hospitals affiliated with the Chinese military.
Since 2007, AbbVie has funded or collaborated on over 100 clinical studies in China, including at least 17 sites in Xinjiang and 16 sites at military centers.
In the letter, US lawmakers noted records showing lapses in obtaining "informed consent" from trial participants in China, raising ethical concerns about the Xinjiang sites.
The letter also emphasized that conducting these studies at Chinese military hospitals could expose cutting-edge US biotech intellectual property to potential transfer to the Chinese military.
The committee wrote to the CEOs of both companies that while there is no current evidence of illegal activity or misconduct, conducting such trials in China exposes US companies to ethical and security risks.
The letter also cited industry research 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 surged from 8% to over 32%.
The lawmakers believe the CCP has turned China into the cheapest and fastest place globally to conduct early-stage human drug trials through regulatory reforms and state subsidies.
In response, Merck said patient safety and ethical integrity are the top priorities of its clinical research program and that it operates in compliance with all global guidelines. AbbVie declined to comment.
["Liu Junhua" Plane Crashed into Building? CITIC Video Denies Rumor but Doubts Persist]
On Monday, CITIC Bank's wealth management subsidiary, CITIC Prudential Wealth, released a video of its executive Liu Junhua, seen as an attempt to deny rumors from last week's small plane crash into the CITIC building. However, the video did not fully quell public doubt.
The video, titled "Dialogue with CITIC Prudential Wealth'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 (China Zun) on Friday, June 26, online rumors in aviation groups claimed the pilot was named "Liu Junhua," coincidentally the same name as a CITIC executive, sparking speculation that an employee had flown the plane into the company's headquarters.
Although CITIC had published a text interview with Liu Junhua on Saturday, the absence of photos allowed rumors to fester, prompting the urgent release of the video on Monday.
CITIC's efforts to clarify were frustrated by official silence on key details, making the incident more mysterious.
Independent commentator Cai Shenkun said that after the crash, the authorities kept silent, and CITIC Group was the most anxious. He questioned: "Why don't state media directly answer who is Liu Junhua, the pilot? Why continue to hide the truth despite public sentiment?"
Some netizens suggested: "The most likely reason for official silence is that the CCP hasn't decided how to handle it. Paramount leader Xi Jinping has not set the tone. The incident is too sensitive and involves too many departments and systems, far beyond a single agency's capacity. Without Xi's approval, no one dares to act."
Many netizens lamented that the authorities "made a simple thing complicated": if it were just an ordinary accident, they could have released the victim's identity; if it were malicious, they should have disclosed the motive promptly. The more they cover up, the more speculation grows.
In fact, after the incident on the 26th, the authorities imposed strict information controls. Nearly a day later, the "Beijing Chaoyang" official account issued a very brief statement saying a light sport aircraft collided with a high-rise building, killing the pilot and injuring 13 on the ground.
The statement did not mention the pilot's identity at all, nor did it name the building (China Zun) or the specific location. This "drip-feed" transparency is the root cause of the rampant rumors.
[Liu Mancang Sentenced to Life; Three Consecutive Henan Political-Legal Chiefs All Fall]
Another "political-legal tiger" has fallen in Henan. Today (June 30), Liu Mancang, former deputy director of the Henan Provincial People's Congress and former secretary of the Henan Provincial Political-Legal Committee, was sentenced to life in prison for bribery.
So far, three consecutive secretaries of the Henan Provincial Political-Legal Committee have all been sentenced.
Liu Mancang was found guilty of using his power from 1997 to 2024 to accept or demand property worth over 170 million yuan, directly or through relatives, involving business operations, land remediation, and real estate development. Due to the extremely large amount of bribes and significant losses caused, the court sentenced him to life imprisonment, deprived him of political rights for life, and confiscated all personal property.
Public records show Liu Mancang, born in 1955 in Xixia County, Henan, served long term in Henan, including as mayor of Shangqiu, party secretary of Shangqiu, vice governor of Henan, secretary of the provincial political-legal committee, and deputy director of the provincial people's congress.
Liu was investigated in October 2024 and expelled from the CCP in April 2025.
The official announcement then stated he engaged in superstitious activities, was greedy and corrupt, used his influence after retirement to seek personal gain, and accepted huge amounts of money and property.
Notably, including Liu, three consecutive secretaries of the Henan Provincial Political-Legal 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, all three, during their tenure, actively followed the CCP in persecuting Falun Gong and were listed by the overseas organization "Pursuing the Persecution of Falun Gong International Organization" (Pursuing International) on its pursuit list.
Well, thank you for watching this episode of News Direct. Please subscribe to us to avoid missing real-time hot topics. See you next time.
"News Direct" Production Team
(Responsible Editor: Liu Ming)
