News Direct Hit: Negotiations Collapse! Iran Clings to $6 Billion, Challenges International Inspections
Beijing time: 2026-07-01 02:28
【New Tang Dynasty Beijing time July 1, 2026】Today's Focus: US-Iran negotiations take a turn; Iran insists on $6 billion; US pharmaceutical company investigated over ties to Chinese military; Bessent reveals why Iran returned to negotiations; CITIC urgently denies rumors; building crash mystery deepens; US Supreme Court delivers three major rulings in one day; Three former Henan political and legal chiefs all sentenced.
Dear viewers, 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 steps in US-Iran negotiations are again fraught with uncertainty. President Trump's special 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.
The Qatar Foreign Ministry confirmed on Tuesday that President Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law and advisor, Jared Kushner, had 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 meeting between Washington and Tehran 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 in the future.
This statement contrasts with the White House's earlier expectations. On Monday, the White House said Kushner and Witkoff would hold "high-level meetings," with technical discussions simultaneously.
President Trump himself on Monday also expressed skepticism about the outcome of the Doha talks, saying, "The meeting in Doha could be very important, or it might not be. We'll see."
Mediator Qatar revealed that the negotiations are currently advancing on three tracks: the nuclear issue, the economy and the country's ability to fulfill commitments, and regional security. The spokesperson also confirmed that the key $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." The Iranian Foreign Ministry emphasized that they would 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 "the release of assets is the core of the interim agreement" is essentially a hint: if the $6 billion is not in hand, they will not begin final peace negotiations with the US.
On the diplomatic and regional security front, Iran appears aggressive.
Iran directly challenged the head of the UN nuclear watchdog (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, warning him to stop making political statements that "resemble electioneering" and focus on his duties.
Iran also stated that control of the Strait of Hormuz does not require external interference and that foreign involvement would only complicate the situation. It clarified that there is only a political communication channel between the US and Iran, no military hotline.
Iran even extended its grievances to the sports field, complaining that its national football team had encountered the "most severe politicized treatment" 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 on the technical level face an extremely difficult tug-of-war.
Now let's look at a series of brief news items:
Indian Refinery Fire Injures Over 20, Suspected Oil Theft
In the early hours of today (June 30) local time, a major fire broke out at an oil refinery in West Bengal, India, injuring over 20 people, five of whom are in serious condition. Railway facilities were also affected, and some trains were temporarily suspended.
Thick smoke rose into the sky, and the fire department deployed 12 fire trucks to extinguish the blaze. Preliminary investigations suggest the fire may have started at a location near the refinery where illegal siphoning of naphtha was suspected. Due to the high flammability of naphtha, whether a pipeline leak caused the fire requires further investigation.
US Supreme Court Upholds States' Laws Banning Transgender Athletes from Women's Sports
The US Supreme Court today ruled in favor of West Virginia and Idaho, upholding laws that ban transgender students 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 are prohibited from joining women's sports teams.
This ruling also provides a legal basis for other states to implement similar laws. Currently, 25 states across the US have passed similar legislation.
US Supreme Court Strikes Down Limits on Campaign Spending
In a second major ruling today, the US Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to strike down federal limits on coordinated campaign spending between parties and candidates.
The majority of justices believed that such limits infringe upon the freedom of speech guaranteed by the First Amendment to the US Constitution, and therefore no spending caps can be set. This ruling comes as the US moves 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 today also ruled on birthright citizenship, voting 6-3 to uphold a lower court's injunction. President 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 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 one buyer, Beijing, and is selling at a discount. Other countries, fearing the reinstatement of US sanctions, mostly 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 quickly as possible ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary this Saturday, warning: "We are watching you."
He said international oil prices have already fallen, and gas stations should pass the savings on to consumers. Whether big oil companies, independent gas stations, or chain convenience stores, they all should take responsibility.
In fact, President Trump had already warned yesterday, demanding that gas stations immediately lower prices, hoping to bring the price per gallon to about $2.50. He said international oil prices have fallen to around $68 per barrel, but retail prices have not followed suit, and he will not tolerate profiteering through price gouging, warning of "big trouble."
Trump also singled out California and other states with high fuel taxes, saying high taxes push oil prices higher, costing the public dearly.
At the end of February, after the US and Israel struck Iran, tensions in the Middle East escalated, and international oil prices quickly rose. However, after the US and Iran reached a preliminary agreement this month, the Strait of Hormuz resumed navigation, market concerns over crude supply eased significantly, and oil prices fell.
Currently, the market is also watching 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) is on track for a second consecutive monthly decline, with June down about 19%; Brent crude is expected to fall for a third straight month, with June down about 20%. Both major oil prices have returned to pre-war levels. As more oil tankers resume passage, market concerns over supply continue to ease.
US Pharmaceutical Giant Investigated Over Collaboration with 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 involved and contributed to the capacity building of the Chinese Communist Party's military.
According to Reuters, the US House Select Committee on China has sent ultimatums to both companies, requiring them to submit detailed information on due diligence, data protection processes, and other security standards at 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 probe.
According to data released by the committee, the two US pharmaceutical companies have extensive clinical R&D 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 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 their letter, US lawmakers noted that there are records indicating lapses in obtaining "informed consent" from trial participants by Chinese researchers, questioning ethical risks at the Xinjiang sites.
They also emphasized that conducting these studies at Chinese military hospitals could pose a risk of transferring US companies' cutting-edge biotech intellectual property to the Chinese military.
In the letter to the CEOs of both companies, the committee said that while there is currently no evidence that the companies engaged in illegal activities 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 drug development projects fell from 48% to 37%, while during the same period, China's share surged from 8% to over 32%.
US lawmakers believe that through regulatory reforms and state subsidies, China has become the lowest-cost and fastest place globally for early-stage human drug trials.
In response to the investigation, Merck stated that patient safety and ethical integrity are the top priority of its clinical research program and that its operations in China follow all global guidelines. AbbVie declined to comment.
"Liu Junhua" Plane Crash into Building? CITIC Video Denial Fails to Quell Doubts
On Monday, CITIC Bank's wealth management arm, Xinyin Wealth Management, released a video of its executive Liu Junhua at work, which was seen as an attempt to deny rumors about last week's small plane crash into the CITIC building. However, the video did not fully allay public doubts.
The video, titled "Dialogue with Xinyin Wealth Management's Liu Junhua: Building a Complete Capability Pyramid for 'Fixed Income+'," specifically marked Monday's date in the upper right corner. After the small plane crash into the CITIC Tower (China Zun) on June 26 (last Friday), online messages from aviation industry groups claimed that the pilot involved was named "Liu Junhua." Coincidentally, an executive at a CITIC-affiliated wealth management company shared the same name, sparking wild speculation that "an employee flew a plane into the company's building."
Although CITIC had published a text interview with Liu Junhua on Saturday, the lack of images caused rumors to escalate, leading to Monday's emergency release of the video to deny again.
CITIC's strenuous denials, combined with the authorities' concealment of key information, have only made the incident more mysterious.
Independent commentator Cai Shenkun commented that after the building crash, the authorities remained tight-lipped, and the most anxious was likely CITIC Group. He questioned, "Why didn't state media directly answer who Liu Junhua, the pilot who flew into the building, was? Why continue to hide the truth despite public speculation?"
Some netizens also said, "The most likely reason for the official silence is that the Chinese Communist Party hasn't figured out how to handle it internally, and the top authority, Xi Jinping, has yet to set the tone. The incident is too sensitive and involves too many departments and systems, far beyond what a single department can handle. Without Xi's say-so, no one dares to act."
Many netizens lamented that the authorities "made a simple matter complicated": if it were an ordinary flight accident, releasing the identity of the victim would suffice; if it were a malicious act, the motive should be disclosed promptly. The more they cover up, the more speculation grows.
In fact, since the incident on the 26th, the authorities imposed a strict information blackout. Nearly a day later, the official "Beijing Chaoyang" WeChat account issued an extremely brief notice, stating that a light sport aircraft collided with a high-rise building, killing the pilot and injuring 13 people on the ground.
The notice did not mention the pilot's identity at all, and even deliberately omitted the name "China Zun" and the specific location of the building hit. 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 Convicted
Another "political and legal tiger" from 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 and Legal Affairs Commission, was sentenced to life imprisonment for bribery by a court. So far, three consecutive Henan provincial party political and legal secretaries have all been convicted and sentenced.
Liu Mancang was accused of using his power from 1997 to 2024 to accept bribes totaling over 170 million yuan directly or through relatives, involving areas such as business operations, land remediation, and real estate development. Due to the especially huge amount of bribes and the significant losses caused, the court sentenced him to life imprisonment, stripped him of political rights for life, and confiscated all personal property.
Public records show that Liu Mancang was born in 1955 in Xixia County, Henan. He worked in Henan for a long time, serving as mayor and 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.
He was investigated in October 2024 and expelled from the Communist Party in April 2025.
The official notice at the time stated that he engaged in superstitious activities, was greedy and corrupt, and even after retirement, he used his influence to seek personal gain and accepted huge amounts of property.
Notably, counting Liu Mancang, Henan has seen three consecutive provincial party political and legal 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, resulting in them being included on the list of the overseas organization "International Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong."
That's all for this episode of "News Direct Hit." Thank you for watching. Please subscribe to us so you don't miss breaking news. We'll see you next time.
"News Direct Hit" Production Team
(Editor in charge: Liu Ming)
