【News Direct】Negotiations Collapsed! Iran Clings to $6 Billion, Challenges International Inspections
Beijing Time: 2026-07-01 02:28
Today's Focus: US-Iran negotiations change; Iran clings to $6 billion; US pharmaceutical company investigated over involvement with Chinese military hospitals; Bessent reveals why Iran returned to negotiations; CITIC urgently denies rumors, but questions around building crash grow; US Supreme Court makes three major rulings in one day; Three successive political and legal chiefs of Henan 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 negotiations between the US and Iran is once 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 talks this round. Iran, meanwhile, takes a tough stance, insisting that it must first receive its unfrozen assets before entering final negotiations.
The Qatar Foreign Ministry confirmed on Tuesday that President Trump's special envoy Witkoff and his son-in-law and advisor Kushner had arrived in Doha that day and met with Qatari mediators.
However, the Qatar Foreign Ministry spokesman made it clear that there would be no high-level meeting between Washington and Tehran this round. This week, the two sides will primarily engage in "technical negotiations" on issues such as regional security, possibly escalating to a higher level later.
This statement differs from the White House's earlier expectations. On Monday, the White House had indicated that Kushner and Witkoff would hold "high-level meetings," with technical discussions proceeding in parallel.
President Trump himself on Monday expressed skepticism about whether the Doha talks would yield results, saying, "The meeting in Doha could be very important, or it might not be. We'll see."
The mediating party, Qatar, revealed that negotiations are currently advancing on three tracks: the nuclear issue, the economy and national implementation capacity, and regional security. The spokesman 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 scheduled in 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 US.
Analysts point out that Tehran's emphasis on "asset release as the core of the interim agreement" is essentially a hint: if the $6 billion is not in hand, they will not begin final peace talks with the US.
On the diplomatic and regional security front, Iran is acting aggressively.
Iran directly challenged the head of the UN nuclear watchdog (IAEA), Grossi, warning him to stop making political statements that "resemble election campaigning" and focus on his duties.
Iran also stated that control over the Strait of Hormuz does not require external interference, and that foreign involvement only complicates the situation. It clarified that there are only political communication channels between the US and Iran, no military hotline.
Iran even extended its dissatisfaction 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 standoff between the US and Iran over financial aid and control of the Strait continues, diplomatic negotiations in Doha face an extremely difficult tug-of-war at the technical level.
Now, a brief roundup of news:
India Oil Refinery Fire Injures Over 20, Suspected Link to 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 over 20 people, five of them seriously. Railway facilities were also affected, causing some trains to be temporarily suspended.
Thick smoke billowed into the sky, and the fire department deployed 12 fire engines to extinguish the blaze. Preliminary investigations suggest the fire may have originated near a site suspected of illegal naphtha theft near the refinery. Since naphtha is highly flammable, whether a pipeline leak caused the fire requires further investigation.
US Supreme Court Supports States, Bans Transgender Athletes from Girls' Sports
The US Supreme Court ruled today to support West Virginia and Idaho laws that prohibit transgender student athletes from participating in girls' sports.
The court held that public school sports teams can be divided by biological sex and that students who are biologically male cannot join girls' 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 Overturns Campaign Spending Limits
In a second major ruling, the US Supreme Court struck down by a 6-3 vote federal limits on coordinated campaign spending between political parties and candidates.
The majority of justices argued that such limits infringe on the freedom of speech guaranteed by the First Amendment of the US Constitution, and therefore cannot impose spending caps. The ruling comes as the US approaches the midterm elections in November and is drawing significant attention.
US Supreme Court Upholds Injunction, Trump's Birthright Citizenship Order Blocked
The US Supreme Court also ruled today on birthright citizenship, upholding lower court injunctions by a 6-3 vote, meaning Trump's executive order restricting birthright citizenship remains blocked.
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 Only 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 becoming increasingly difficult to sell its oil.
He said Iran now has only Beijing as a buyer, and at a discount. Other countries, fearing renewed US sanctions, largely dare not buy Iranian oil. 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 ahead of this Saturday's 250th anniversary of the founding of the US, 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, all should take responsibility.
In fact, President Trump had already posted a warning yesterday, demanding gas stations lower prices immediately, hoping to bring the price per gallon down to about $2.50. He said international oil prices have dropped to about $68 per barrel, but retail gas prices have not followed suit, and they must not take advantage of the situation to profiteer, otherwise there will be "big trouble."
Trump also singled out California and other states with high fuel taxes, arguing that high taxes push gas prices higher, costing the public extra money.
After the US and Israel jointly struck Iran at the end of February, tensions in the Middle East spiked briefly, pushing international oil prices up rapidly. However, after the US and Iran reached a preliminary agreement this month and the Strait of Hormuz resumed navigation, market concerns about crude supply eased significantly, and prices fell.
The market is now watching the new round of US-Iran talks. International oil prices are expected to post their biggest quarterly drop since the early days of the pandemic.
US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) is expected to fall for a second straight month, dropping about 19% in June; Brent crude is expected to fall for a third consecutive month, losing about 20% in June. Both major oil prices have returned to levels before the current Middle East war, and as more tankers resume passage, market supply concerns continue to ease.
US Pharmaceutical Giant Investigated Over 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 contributed to the capacity building of the Chinese Communist Party's military.
According to Reuters, the House Select Committee on China has sent notices to the two companies, demanding by July 17 detailed information on the due diligence, data protection processes, and other security standards of their trial sites in China. Sites in Xinjiang and Chinese military hospitals are the focus of this national security investigation.
According to data released by the committee, the two US drug 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 trials at medical centers and hospitals affiliated with the Chinese 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 letter, lawmakers pointed out that records indicate lapses in obtaining "informed consent" from trial participants in China, questioning the ethical risks of sites in Xinjiang.
They 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.
While noting there is no evidence that the companies have engaged in illegal activities or misconduct, the committee said that conducting such trials in China exposes US companies to ethical and security risks.
The letter 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 surged from 8% to over 32% during the same period.
Lawmakers believe that through regulatory reforms and state subsidies, China has become the cheapest and fastest place to conduct early-stage human drug trials globally.
In response to the investigation, Merck stated that patient safety and ethical integrity are top priorities for its clinical research programs, and its operations in China comply with all global guidelines. AbbVie declined to comment.
"Liu Junhua" Crashed Plane into Building? CITIC Video Denial Fails to Quell Doubts
On Monday, CITIC Bank's wealth management arm released a video featuring its executive Liu Junhua, widely seen as an attempt to deny rumors surrounding last week's small plane crash into CITIC Tower. However, the video did not fully dispel public doubts.
The video, titled "Dialogue with CITIC Wealth Management's Liu Junhua: Building a Complete Ability Pyramid for 'Fixed Income+'," prominently displayed Monday's date in the upper right corner. After the small plane crashed into CITIC Tower (China Zun) on June 26 (last Friday), online chat groups in the aviation industry claimed the pilot involved was named "Liu Junhua," coinciding with the name of a CITIC wealth management executive. The striking coincidence quickly fueled speculation of "an employee crashing a plane into the company's building."
Although CITIC had published a text interview with Liu Junhua on Saturday, the "words without pictures" approach allowed rumors to fester, prompting the urgent release of the video on Monday for further denial.
CITIC's strenuous denials, combined with the official silence on key details, have only made the incident more mysterious.
Independent commentator Cai Shenkun noted that after the crash, the official silence was most worrying for the CITIC Group. He questioned: "Why don't state media directly answer who Liu Junhua is, the one who crashed the plane? Why continue to hide the truth while letting rumors ferment?"
Some netizens said: "The official silence most likely means the CCP hasn't figured out how to handle it internally, and Xi Jinping hasn't set the tone. The incident is too sensitive and involves too many departments and systems, far beyond the capacity of a single department to handle. No one dares to act before Xi Jinping speaks."
Many netizens lamented that the authorities have "made a simple thing complicated": if it were just an ordinary flight accident, releasing 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.
Indeed, after the incident on the 26th, the authorities imposed a strict information blackout. Nearly a full day later, the "Beijing Chaoyang" official WeChat account issued 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 not only omitted the pilot's identity but also deliberately concealed the name of the struck building, "China Zun," and its specific location. This "squeeze-out" style of transparency is the root cause of the current rumors.
Liu Mancang Sentenced to Life in Prison; Three Consecutive Political and Legal Chiefs of Henan 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 Commission, was sentenced to life imprisonment for bribery by a court. To date, three consecutive secretaries of the Henan Provincial Political and Legal Affairs Commission have all been sentenced.
Liu Mancang was found guilty of using his power from 1997 to 2024, directly or through his relatives, to accept property worth over 170 million yuan, covering areas such as business operations, land remediation, and real estate development. Given the exceptionally large bribery amount and the significant losses caused, the court sentenced him to life imprisonment, depriving him of political rights for life, and confiscating all his personal property.
Public records show Liu Mancang, born in 1955 in Xixia County, Henan, worked long-term in Henan, serving as mayor of Shangqiu, party secretary of Shangqiu, vice governor of Henan, secretary of the Provincial Political and Legal Affairs Commission, 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 CCP.
Official reports at the time stated that he engaged in superstitious activities, was greedy and corrupt, even using his influence after retirement to seek personal gain, and accepted huge sums of property.
Notably, including Liu Mancang, Henan has seen three successive provincial political and legal affairs commission secretaries fall. Previously, Wu Tianjun was sentenced to 11 years in 2017, and Gan Rongkun was sentenced to life in prison in 2023.
In addition, during their tenures, all three actively followed the CCP in persecuting Falun Gong, and were listed by the overseas organization "Pursue and Prosecute the Persecution of Falun Gong International Organization" (Pursue International).
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The production team of "News Direct"
(Responsible editor: Liu Ming)
Article URL: https://www.ntdtv.com/b5/2026/06/30/a104110938.html
