[News Direct] Negotiations Collapse! Iran Clings to $6 Billion, Challenges International Inspections
Beijing time: 2026-07-01 02:28
Today's Focus: US-Iran negotiations change, Iran insists on $6 billion; US pharmaceutical company investigated over ties to Chinese military doctors; Bessent reveals reason for Iran's return to negotiations; CITIC urgently denies rumors, but suspicion over building collision grows; US Supreme Court delivers three major rulings in one day; Three former political-legal chiefs of Henan all sentenced.
Dear audience, 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 fraught with uncertainty again. President Trump's envoy has arrived in Doha, but the two sides will not hold face-to-face high-level talks this round. Iran, on the other hand, takes a tough stance, insisting it must receive unfrozen assets before starting 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, arrived in Doha that day and met with Qatari mediators.
However, a Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson made it clear that there will be no high-level meetings between Washington and Tehran this round. This week, the two sides will mainly engage in "technical negotiations" on regional security and other issues, which may be upgraded to higher levels depending on the situation.
This statement differs from the White House's earlier expectations. On Monday, the White House said Kushner and Witkoff would hold "high-level meetings" while technical discussions proceed simultaneously.
President Trump himself expressed skepticism on Monday about whether the Doha talks would yield results, saying: "The meetings in Doha could be very important, or they might not be. We'll see."
Qatar, the mediator, revealed that the negotiations currently progress on three tracks: nuclear issues, economy and national implementation capacity, and regional security. The spokesperson also confirmed that the crucial $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds have not yet been transferred to Tehran.
Iran stated that there are "no meetings at any level with the US arranged in the coming days." Iran's Foreign Ministry emphasized that 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" actually hints that it will not begin final peace negotiations with the US unless the $6 billion is secured.
In diplomatic and regional security matters, Iran is acting aggressively.
Iran directly challenged the head of the UN nuclear watchdog (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, warning him to stop making political statements "resembling electioneering" and focus on his duties.
Iran also stated that control of the Strait of Hormuz does not require external intervention, and foreign involvement only complicates the situation. It also clarified that there is only a political communication channel between the US and Iran, not a military hotline.
Iran even extended its discontent to sports, complaining that its national football team faced the "most severe politicization and hostility" from the US during the World Cup.
As the stalemate 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 some brief news:
Oil Refinery Fire in India: Over 20 Injured, Suspicion of Oil Theft
In the early hours of today (June 30), a fire broke out at an oil refinery in West Bengal, India, leaving over 20 people injured, five of them seriously. Railway facilities were also affected, and some trains were temporarily suspended.
Thick smoke billowed into the sky, and the fire department dispatched 12 fire trucks to extinguish the blaze. Preliminary investigations suggest the fire may have started near a location suspected of illegal naphtha theft. Naphtha is highly flammable, and whether the fire was caused by a pipeline leak requires further investigation.
US Supreme Court Upholds States' Rights: Bans Transgender Athletes from Women's Sports
The US Supreme Court today ruled in favor of West Virginia and Idaho, allowing laws that prohibit transgender student athletes from participating in women's sports.
The Court held that public school sports teams may be divided by biological sex and that students who are biologically male may be barred from joining women's teams.
This ruling provides legal support for other states to implement similar regulations. Currently, 25 states across the US have passed similar laws.
US Supreme Court Overturns Limits on Campaign Spending
The US Supreme Court today delivered its second major ruling, striking down federal limits on coordinated campaign spending between political parties and candidates by a 6-3 vote.
The majority of justices held that such limits infringe on free speech rights guaranteed by the First Amendment of the US Constitution, and therefore no spending caps can be imposed. This ruling comes as the US approaches the November midterm elections, drawing significant attention.
US Supreme Court Maintains Injunction: Trump's Birthright Citizenship Order Blocked
The US Supreme Court today also ruled on birthright citizenship, upholding a lower court's injunction by a 6-3 vote, preventing President Trump's executive order restricting birthright citizenship from taking effect.
The executive order stipulates that children born in the US to parents who are neither US citizens nor lawful permanent residents do 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 key reason Iran is now willing to negotiate with the US is that it is increasingly difficult to sell oil.
He said that Iran now has only Beijing as a buyer, and even then at a discount. Other countries, fearing the reinstatement of US sanctions, mostly dare not buy Iranian oil, and increasing 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 ahead of Saturday's 250th anniversary of the founding of the US, warning: "We're watching you."
He said international oil prices have already fallen, and gas stations should pass on the savings to consumers. Whether it's major oil companies, independent gas stations, or chain convenience stores, they should all take responsibility.
In fact, President Trump had already posted a warning yesterday demanding that gas stations lower prices immediately, hoping to see gas prices drop to about $2.50 per gallon. He said international oil prices have fallen to around $68 per barrel, but retail prices have not followed, and that profiteering by price gouging would lead to "big trouble."
Trump also singled out states like California with high fuel taxes, arguing that high taxes push prices higher, costing the public more.
After the US and Israel jointly struck Iran in late February, the Middle East situation became tense, 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 crude oil supply have eased, and prices have fallen.
Markets are now also focused on the new round of US-Iran talks. International oil prices are expected to record their largest quarterly drop since the early days of the pandemic.
US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude is expected to fall for a second consecutive month, with a June decline of about 19%; Brent crude is expected to fall for a third consecutive month, with a cumulative drop of about 20% in June. Both major oil prices have returned to levels before the current Middle East conflict, and as more oil tankers resume passage, market concerns about supply continue to ease.
US Pharmaceutical Giant Investigated for Ties to 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 participated in and facilitated the capacity-building of the Chinese Communist Party's military.
According to Reuters, the US House Select Committee on China has sent notices to both companies, demanding they submit detailed information on due diligence, data protection procedures, and other safety standards for their trial sites in China by July 17. Sites in Xinjiang and hospitals affiliated with the Chinese military are the focus of this national security investigation.
According to data released 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 linked to 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 letters, lawmakers pointed to records showing deficiencies in obtaining "informed consent" from trial participants in China, questioning ethical risks at sites in Xinjiang.
They also emphasized that conducting these studies at Chinese military hospitals could expose cutting-edge US biotechnology intellectual property to potential transfer to the Chinese military.
The committee wrote to the CEOs of both companies, stating that while there is no evidence of illegal activity or misconduct, conducting such trials in China exposes US companies to ethical and security risks.
The letters also cited industry 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%.
Lawmakers believe that through regulatory reforms and state subsidies, the Chinese Communist Party has transformed China into the cheapest and fastest place globally for early-stage human drug trials.
In response to the investigation, Merck said that patient safety and ethical integrity are the top priorities of its clinical research programs, and that its operations in China comply with all global guidelines. AbbVie declined to comment.
"Liu Junhua" Crashed Plane into Building? CITIC Video Denies but Doubts Remain
On Monday, CITIC Bank's wealth management subsidiary, Xinyin Wealth Management, released a video featuring its executive Liu Junhua discussing business operations, widely seen as an attempt to refute rumors about last week's small plane crash into the CITIC building. However, the video did not fully dispel public doubts.
The video, titled "Dialogue with Xinyin Wealth Management's Liu Junhua: Building a 'Fixed Income+' Complete Capability Pyramid," specifically marked Monday's date on the upper right corner. After the small plane crashed into the CITIC building (China Zun) on June 26 (last Friday), online messages from insider industry groups claimed the pilot involved was named "Liu Junhua," coinciding with the name of a CITIC Wealth Management executive. This huge coincidence quickly sparked speculation that the employee had "crashed a plane into the headquarters building."
Despite CITIC releasing a text interview with Liu Junhua on Saturday, the "text without pictures" failed to quell the rumors, leading to the emergency release of the video on Monday for further denial.
CITIC's efforts to clarify, coupled with official concealment of key information, only deepened the mystery of the incident.
Independent commentator Cai Shenkun commented that after the crash, the authorities kept silent, and the most anxious was actually CITIC Group. He questioned: "Why don't state media directly answer who Liu Junhua, the pilot who crashed into the building, is? Why continue to hide the truth as public outrage ferments?"
Some netizens said: "The most likely reason for official silence is that the Chinese Communist Party hasn't decided how to handle it internally, and Supreme Leader Xi Jinping hasn't set the tone. The incident is too sensitive and involves too many departments and systems, far beyond what a single department can handle. No one dares to act before Xi speaks."
Many netizens lamented that the authorities have actually "made a simple thing complicated": if it's just an ordinary flight accident, release the identity of the deceased; if it's a malicious incident, disclose the motive promptly. The more they cover up, the more speculation arises.
In fact, after the incident on the 26th, the authorities imposed strict information controls. Almost a day later, the "Beijing Chaoyang" official account released an extremely brief statement saying a light sports aircraft collided with a high-rise building, resulting in the pilot's death and 13 ground injuries.
The statement failed to mention the pilot's identity and even deliberately omitted the name and specific location of the struck building, "China Zun." This "drip-feed" transparency is the root cause of the current rumors.
Liu Mancang Sentenced to Life: Three Consecutive Political-Legal Chiefs of Henan All Fall
Another "political-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-Legal Committee, was sentenced to life imprisonment for bribery.
To date, three consecutive Henan Provincial Party Committee Political-Legal Committee Secretaries have all been convicted.
Liu was found to have taken bribes worth over 170 million yuan from 1997 to 2024, using his power to benefit others in areas such as business operations, land remediation, and real estate development. Due to the exceptionally large amount of bribes and resulting significant losses, the court sentenced him to life imprisonment, deprived him of political rights for life, and confiscated all personal property.
Public information shows that Liu Mancang, born in 1955 in Xixia County, Henan, served long-term positions in Henan, including 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.
In October 2024, Liu was investigated, and in April 2025, he was expelled from the Chinese Communist Party.
Authorities then reported that he engaged in superstitious activities, was greedy and corrupt, and continued to exploit his influence for private gain after retirement, accepting huge amounts of property.
Notably, with Liu Mancang, Henan has seen three consecutive provincial political-legal committee secretaries fall. 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 Chinese Communist Party in persecuting Falun Gong and were listed by the overseas organization "International Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong" (ICIJ).
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"News Direct" Production Team
(Responsible Editor: Liu Ming)
