【News Direct Hit】Negotiations Collapse! Iran Clings to $6 Billion, Challenges International Inspections
Beijing Time: 2026-07-01 02:28
Beijing Time: 2026-07-01 02:28
【NTD Beijing Time July 1, 2026】Today's Focus: US-Iran negotiations falter, Iran insists on $6 billion; US pharmaceutical company investigated over ties to Chinese military hospital; Bessent reveals why Iran returned to negotiations; CITIC urgently denies rumors, but suspicions over building collision deepen; US Supreme Court delivers three major rulings in one day; Henan's three consecutive political and legal chiefs all sentenced.
Welcome to "News Direct Hit." 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 fraught with uncertainty. President Trump's envoy has arrived in Doha, but the two sides will not hold direct high-level talks this round. Iran remains adamant, insisting that it must receive the frozen assets before opening final negotiations.
The Qatari Foreign Ministry confirmed on Tuesday that President Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner, arrived in Doha that day and met with Qatari mediators.
However, the Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman explicitly stated that no high-level meeting between Washington and Tehran will take place 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 marks a departure from the White House's earlier expectations. On Monday, the White House indicated that Kushner and Witkoff would hold "high-level meetings," with technical discussions happening simultaneously.
President Trump himself expressed skepticism on Monday about the prospects of the Doha talks, saying: "The Doha meeting could be very important, or it could be not important. We'll see."
The mediating party, Qatar, revealed that negotiations are currently advancing on three tracks: the nuclear issue, the economy and state capacity, and regional security. The spokesman also confirmed that the key $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds have not yet been transferred to Tehran.
Iran stated that "no meetings at any level with the US side are scheduled for the coming days." The Iranian Foreign Ministry emphasized that they will only participate in dialogues hosted by the mediating country, Qatar, to implement the interim agreement with the United States.
Analysts pointed out that Tehran's emphasis on "the release of assets being the core of the interim agreement" is essentially a signal that if the $6 billion is not secured, they will not engage in final peace negotiations with the United States.
In terms of diplomacy and regional security, 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 external interference, and foreign involvement will only complicate the situation. It clarified that the US-Iran channel is purely political, with no military hotline.
Iran even extended its discontent to the sports arena, complaining that its national football team faced the "most severe politicized treatment" and hostility from the US in the World Cup.
As the deadlock between the US and Iran over financial aid and control of the strait continues, the diplomatic negotiations in Doha are facing an extremely difficult tug-of-war at the technical level.
Now for a roundup of news briefs:
Indian Oil Refinery Fire Injures Over 20, Suspected Oil Theft
In the early hours of today (June 30) local time, a fire broke out at an oil refinery in West Bengal, India, injuring more than 20 people, five of whom are in serious condition. Railway facilities were also affected, causing some trains to be temporarily suspended.
Thick smoke billowed into the sky as fire departments deployed 12 fire trucks to extinguish the blaze. Preliminary investigations suggest the fire may have started near a site suspected of illegal naphtha theft. Naphtha is highly flammable, and further investigation is needed to determine whether a pipeline leak caused the fire.
US Supreme Court Sides with States, Bans Transgender Athletes from Women's Sports
The US Supreme Court ruled today to uphold laws in West Virginia and Idaho 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 prohibit students who are biologically male from joining women's sports teams.
This ruling provides legal basis 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 a second major ruling today, the US Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to overturn federal limits on coordinated campaign spending between political parties and candidates.
The majority of justices held that such restrictions involve free speech protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution, and therefore no spending caps can be set. This ruling comes as the US heads toward the November midterm elections and has drawn significant attention.
US Supreme Court Upholds Injunction, Trump's Birthright Citizenship Order Blocked
The US Supreme Court also ruled on birthright citizenship today, upholding lower court injunctions by a 6-3 vote, meaning President Trump's executive order restricting birthright citizenship remains blocked.
The executive order stipulates that children born in the US to parents who are not US citizens or 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 for Iran to sell oil.
He stated that Iran now has only one buyer left—Beijing—and it is selling at a discount. Other countries, fearing the reimposition of US sanctions, are mostly reluctant to buy Iranian oil, increasing economic pressure on Tehran and forcing it back to the negotiating table.
Bessent also called on gas stations across the US 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 savings on to consumers. Whether large oil companies, independent gas stations, or chain convenience stores, they all should take responsibility.
In fact, President Trump had already posted a warning yesterday, demanding that gas stations immediately lower prices, hoping to bring the price per gallon down to about $2.50. He said that international oil prices have fallen to about $68 per barrel, but retail gasoline prices have not followed suit, and that price gouging will lead to "big trouble."
Trump also singled out California and other states with high fuel taxes, arguing that high taxes are pushing gasoline prices higher and costing consumers more.
After the US and Israel jointly struck Iran at the end of February, tensions in the Middle East escalated, and international oil prices spiked. However, after the US and Iran reached a preliminary agreement this month and the Strait of Hormuz resumed navigation, market concerns about oil supply have eased significantly, and oil prices have fallen.
The market is also watching the new round of US-Iran talks. International oil prices are on track for their largest quarterly drop since the early days of the pandemic.
West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude is expected to fall for a second consecutive month, dropping about 19% in June; Brent crude is expected to fall for a third consecutive month, dropping about 20% in June. Both major oil prices have returned to pre-Middle East war levels, and as more tankers resume passage, market concerns about supply continue to ease.
【US Pharmaceutical Giants Under Investigation for Ties to Chinese Military Hospitals】
A bipartisan group of US lawmakers officially 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 capacity building of the Chinese Communist Party's military.
According to Reuters, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party has sent letters to both companies, requiring them to submit detailed information by July 17 on their due diligence, data protection procedures, and other security standards for their trial sites in China. Sites in Xinjiang and those affiliated with Chinese military hospitals are the focus of the investigation.
According to data disclosed by the committee, these two US pharmaceutical companies have extensive clinical research deployments 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.
The lawmakers' letter noted that records show Chinese researchers have been lax in obtaining informed consent from trial participants, raising ethical concerns at Xinjiang sites.
The letter also emphasized that conducting these studies at Chinese military hospitals could expose US companies' cutting-edge biotech intellectual property to potential transfer to the Chinese military.
The committee wrote in its letters to the CEOs of both companies that although there is currently no 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 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 dropped from 48% to 37%, while China's share surged from 8% to over 32%.
The lawmakers believe that through regulatory reforms and state subsidies, the Chinese Communist Party has turned China into the cheapest and fastest place to conduct early-stage human drug trials.
In response to the investigation, Merck stated 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" Plane Crash into Building? CITIC Video Denial Fails to Quell Suspicion】
On Monday, CITIC Bank's wealth management subsidiary, CIB Wealth Management, released a video of its executive Liu Junhua at work, which was 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 alleviate public suspicion.
The video, titled "Dialogue with CIB Wealth Management's Liu Junhua: Building a Complete Capability Pyramid for 'Fixed Income +'," prominently displayed Monday's date in the top right corner. Earlier, after the small plane crashed into the CITIC Building (China Zun) on June 26 (last Friday), online aviation industry chat groups claimed that the pilot's name was "Liu Junhua," and coincidentally, a wealth management executive at CITIC had the same name, sparking speculation that an employee had flown a plane into the company's headquarters.
Although CITIC had published a text interview with Liu Junhua on Saturday, the lack of images fueled the rumors, leading to the emergency release of a video on Monday to dispel them.
CITIC's efforts to clarify were undermined by the official concealment of key information, making the incident even more mysterious.
Independent commentator Cai Shenkun said that after the crash, the authorities stayed tight-lipped, and it was CITIC Group that was most anxious. He questioned: "Why don't the state media directly answer who Liu Junhua, the pilot who crashed into the building, is? Why continue to hide the truth despite the public outcry?"
Some netizens also said: "The most likely reason for the official silence is that the CCP hasn't decided how to handle it yet, and the supreme authority Xi Jinping hasn't set the tone. The incident is too sensitive and involves too many departments and systems, far beyond the scope of a single department. No one dares to act without Xi's say-so."
Many netizens lamented that the authorities have "made a simple thing complicated": if it were just an ordinary aviation accident, publishing the identity of the deceased would have sufficed; if it were a malicious act, the motive should have been disclosed promptly. The more they conceal, the more speculation arises.
In fact, after the incident on the 26th, the authorities imposed strict information controls. Nearly a day later, the official "Beijing Chaoyang" WeChat account released an extremely brief notice stating 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 disclose the pilot's identity at all, and even deliberately omitted the name of the building (China Zun) and the exact location. This "drip-feed" transparency is the root cause of the current rumors.
【Liu Mancang Sentenced to Life in Prison; Three Consecutive Henan Political and Legal Chiefs All Fall】
Another "tiger" in Henan's political and legal system 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.
Liu Mancang was found guilty of taking advantage of his position from 1997 to 2024 to accept or demand property worth more than 170 million yuan (about $24 million) directly or through his relatives, involving business operations, land remediation, and real estate development. Due to the particularly large amount of bribes and the significant losses caused, the court sentenced him to life imprisonment, deprivation of political rights for life, and confiscation of all personal property.
Public records show that Liu Mancang, born in 1955 in Xixia County, Henan, served for a long time in Henan Province, holding positions including 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.
In October 2024, Liu Mancang was investigated, and in April 2025, he was expelled from the Chinese Communist Party.
The official notice at the time stated that he engaged in superstitious activities, was greedy and corrupt, and continued to seek personal gain using his influence even after retirement, amassing huge amounts of property.
Notably, Liu Mancang is the third consecutive secretary of the Henan Provincial Political and Legal Affairs Committee to fall. Previously, Wu Tianjun was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2017, and Gan Rongkun was sentenced to life in 2023.
Furthermore, all three were placed on the wanted list by the overseas organization "Investigate and Prosecute Falun Gong International" (IPF) for their active role in persecuting Falun Gong under the CCP.
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Produced by "News Direct Hit" Team
(Responsible Editor: Liu Ming)
