[News Direct] Negotiations Collapse! Iran Clings to $6 Billion, Challenges International Inspections
Beijing time: 2026-07-01 02:28
【NTD Beijing Time July 1, 2026】Today's Focus: US-Iran negotiations change, Iran clings to $6 billion; US pharmaceutical companies investigated over involvement with Chinese military hospitals; Bessent reveals why Iran returned to negotiations; CITIC urgently denies rumors, but doubts over plane crash grow; US Supreme Court issues three major rulings in one day; Three former Henan political and 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 again fraught with uncertainty. President Trump's envoy has arrived in Doha, but the US and Iran will not hold face-to-face high-level talks this round. Iran remains tough, 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 advisor, Kushner, arrived in Doha that day and met with Qatari mediators.
However, a Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman explicitly stated that there will be no high-level meetings between Washington and Tehran this round. This week, the two sides will mainly hold "technical negotiations" on regional security and other issues, with the possibility of upgrading to a higher level later if warranted.
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 happening simultaneously.
President Trump himself expressed skepticism on Monday about whether the Doha talks would yield results, saying, "The meeting in Doha may or may not be important. We'll see."
Qatar, as the mediator, revealed that the negotiations are currently proceeding on three tracks: nuclear issues, economy and national implementation 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 says 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 talks hosted by Qatar to implement the interim agreement with the US.
Analysts point out that Tehran's emphasis on "releasing the assets is the core of the interim agreement" essentially hints that if the $6 billion is not secured, it will not begin final peace negotiations 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 political statements that "resemble election campaigning" and focus on his job.
Iran also stated that control of the Strait of Hormuz does not require external interference, saying foreign involvement will only complicate the situation. It also clarified that there are only political communication channels between the US and Iran, not a 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 in the World Cup.
As the deadlock over financial aid and control of the Strait continues, the technical-level diplomatic negotiations in Doha face an extremely difficult tug-of-war.
Now for a roundup of brief news:
India Oil Refinery Fire, Over 20 Injured, Possibly Related to Theft
Early this morning local time (June 30), a major fire broke out at an oil refinery in West Bengal, India, injuring over 20 people, five seriously. Railway facilities were also affected, causing some trains to be suspended.
Thick smoke billowed into the sky, and the fire department deployed 12 fire trucks to extinguish the blaze. Preliminary investigations suggest the fire may have started near a suspected illegal naphtha theft site. Due to naphtha's high flammability, whether a leak caused the fire is still 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 in banning 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 prohibited from joining women's sports teams.
This ruling also provides legal backing for other states to implement similar regulations. Currently, 25 states have passed similar laws.
US Supreme Court Overturns Campaign Spending Limits
In a second major ruling today, the US Supreme Court struck down federal limits on coordinated campaign spending between political parties and candidates by a 6-3 vote.
The majority held that such limits violate the First Amendment's protection of free speech, so spending caps cannot be set. This ruling comes as the US moves toward the November midterm elections and has attracted 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 Trump's executive order limiting birthright citizenship remains blocked.
The executive order would deny automatic US citizenship to children born in the US whose parents are neither US citizens nor legal permanent residents.
[Bessent: Beijing Becomes Sole Oil Buyer, Iran Forced Back to Negotiations]
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 Iran now has only one buyer left—Beijing—and that oil is sold at a discount. Other countries are mostly afraid to buy Iranian oil due to fears of renewed US sanctions, 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 the 250th anniversary of the founding of the US this Saturday, warning, "We are watching you."
He said international oil prices have fallen, and gas stations should pass on the price cuts to consumers. Whether large oil companies, independent stations, or chain convenience stores, they all should take responsibility.
In fact, President Trump had already warned on Monday that gas stations must lower prices immediately, hoping for a price of about $2.50 per gallon. He said international oil prices have fallen to around $68 per barrel, but retail prices have not followed, and warned against price gouging, saying there would be "big trouble."
Trump also criticized states like California with high fuel taxes, arguing that high taxes drive up gas prices and cost ordinary people money.
After the US and Israel struck Iran in late February, tensions in the Middle East spiked, and oil prices quickly soared. However, after the US and Iran reached a preliminary agreement this month and the Strait of Hormuz reopened, market concerns about supply eased, and oil prices have fallen.
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 days of the 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 consecutive month, down about 20% in June. Both oil prices have returned to pre-Middle East war levels, and as more tankers resume passage, supply concerns continue to ease.
[Pharmaceutical Giants Under US Investigation Over Ties to Chinese Military Hospitals]
A bipartisan group of US lawmakers formally 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 US House Select Committee on China has sent letters to the two companies demanding detailed information by July 17, including due diligence on their trial sites in China, data protection processes, and other security standards. The committee is focusing on sites in Xinjiang and hospitals affiliated with the Chinese military.
According to committee data, the two US drug companies have extensive clinical research operations 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 more than 100 clinical studies in China, including at least 17 sites in Xinjiang and 16 military-linked sites.
The lawmakers noted in their letters that there are records of Chinese researchers neglecting to obtain proper "informed consent" from trial participants, raising ethical concerns about the Xinjiang sites.
The letters also emphasized that conducting these studies in Chinese military hospitals could expose US companies' cutting-edge biotech intellectual property to potential transfer to the Chinese military.
The committee wrote to the CEOs of both companies, saying there is no current evidence of illegal activity or misconduct, but conducting such trials in China exposes US companies to ethical and security risks.
The letters 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% during the same period.
The 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 said 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 Building? CITIC Video Denies, But Doubts Remain]
On Monday, CITIC Bank's wealth management subsidiary released a business work video featuring its executive Liu Junhua, widely seen as an attempt to deny rumors about the small plane crashing into the CITIC Building last week. However, the video did not fully dispel public doubts.
The video, titled "Dialogue with CITIC Wealth's Liu Junhua: Building a Complete 'Fixed-Income+' Capability Pyramid," prominently displayed Monday's date in the upper right corner. Previously, after a small plane crashed into the CITIC Building (China Zun) on June 26 (last Friday), online messages from aviation industry groups claimed the pilot was named "Liu Junhua." Coincidentally, an executive with the same name works at a CITIC wealth management subsidiary, sparking speculation that the employee had flown the plane into his own company's building.
Despite CITIC's release of a text interview with Liu Junhua on Saturday, the lack of images allowed rumors to spread, prompting the emergency release of a video on Monday.
CITIC's strong denials, combined with official secrecy on key information, have only deepened the mystery.
Independent commentator Cai Shenkun said the official silence on the crash has made CITIC Group the most anxious. He questioned, "Why don't state media directly answer who the pilot Liu Junhua is? Why continue to hide the truth as public opinion grows?"
Some netizens speculated, "The most likely reason for official silence is that the CCP hasn't decided how to handle it yet, and 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 will act without Xi's order."
Many netizens lamented that the authorities have "made a simple thing complicated": if it were 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 hide, the more speculation grows.
In fact, since the incident on the 26th, authorities imposed strict information blackouts. Nearly a day later, the "Beijing Chaoyang" official public account issued an extremely brief report saying a light sport aircraft collided with a high-rise building, killing the pilot and injuring 13 people on the ground.
The report not only omitted the pilot's identity but also deliberately excluded the name of the building involved, "China Zun," and the specific location. This "drip-feed" transparency is the root cause of the rampant rumors.
[Liu Mancang Sentenced to Life; 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 was found guilty of accepting over 170 million yuan in bribes, either directly or through relatives, from 1997 to 2024, involving business operations, land remediation, and real estate development. Due to the exceptionally large amount of bribes and the significant losses caused, the court sentenced him to life, with permanent deprivation of political rights and confiscation of all personal property.
Public information shows Liu was born in 1955 in Xixia County, Henan. He held long-term positions in Henan, 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 was placed under investigation, and in April 2025, he was expelled from the CCP.
The official announcement at the time stated that he engaged in superstitious activities, was greedy and corrupt, used his influence for personal gain after retirement, and accepted huge amounts of property.
Notably, including Liu, three consecutive secretaries of the Henan Provincial Political and Legal Affairs 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 were included on the wanted list of the international organization "Prosecute the Persecutors of Falun Gong" for actively persecuting Falun Gong following CCP orders.
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News Direct Production Team
(Editor in charge: Liu Ming)
