Israeli Airstrike in Gaza Refugee Camp Kills Infant and Parents Amid Fragile Ceasefire 
Trump’s White House Ballroom Project Draws Criticism Amid Rising Gas Prices 
U.S. Military Drill Over Caracas Raises Tensions in Venezuela 
Trump Weighs Taiwan Arms Deal as U.S. Denies Iran War Caused Delays 
House Republicans Delay Vote on Iran War Powers Resolution Amid Growing Congressional Debate 
Iran Pushes Nationalist Propaganda as Economic Crisis and War Deepen 
Xi Jinping Orders Full Rescue After Shanxi Coal Mine Gas Explosion Kills Eight 
Marco Rubio Visits India to Rebuild U.S.-India Ties Amid Trade and Geopolitical Tensions 
Trump Signals Tough Stance on Iran Uranium Stockpile as Nuclear Talks Show Limited Progress 
US Approves $108 Million Hawk Missile System Support Package for Ukraine 
Trump-Lai Call Remains Uncertain as U.S.-China Tensions Over Taiwan Intensify 
Israel Faces Global Backlash Over Gaza Flotilla Activists’ Treatment 
Wang Yi to Lead UN Security Council Meeting and Visit Canada Amid Improving China-Canada Relations 
DHS Threatens to Halt International Airport Processing in Sanctuary Cities 
China Coal Mine Explosion Death Toll Revised to 82 in Shanxi 
Rubio, Jaishankar Discuss Iran Crisis, Trade, and Energy Security During Key U.S.-India Talks 
The US and Iran have been at odds over the latter’s nuclear program, with President Joe Biden keen on resuming negotiations with the Iranian leadership. However, the Islamic nation’s president-elect has ruled out meeting with Biden and sticking with his hardline stance.
Iranian president-elect Ebrahim Raisi says he will not meet with Biden following his election last week. Raisi, who succeeds Hassan Rouhani, will also not negotiate with the US over Tehran’s ballistic missile program and is sticking to a hardline stance as he takes office in August. Raisi made the comments in a news conference in Tehran and said that the US has an obligation to lift the sanctions it has imposed on the Islamic nation.
Raisi is a known protege of the country’s Supreme Leader, who has been sanctioned by the US over his involvement in mass executions back in 1988 of around 5,000 people. The president-elect described himself as a defender of human rights. Raisi’s election victory follows a low turnout in the history of the Islamic Republic, with millions of Iranians staying home in defiance of the vote they criticized as having already been turned to his favor.
With Raisi getting elected, a hardline stance would be in place as negotiations in Vienna continue surrounding Iran’s involvement in the nuclear deal. Raisi’s election also comes at a time when its nuclear facility is reaching 60 percent in its uranium enrichment.
In other news, Biden is restoring a White House tradition that has since been skipped over by his predecessor Donald Trump. Biden would be welcoming his former boss, former President Barack Obama, back to the White House to unveil his official portrait later this year. The unveiling of Obama’s official portrait was skipped over by Trump, who did not invite his predecessor, in an event that usually takes place in the East Room of the White House.
The paintings are commissioned by a privately funded White House Historical Association and are awarded to the artist chosen by the former president. Donald and Melania Trump are reportedly in talks with the WHHA and the National Portrait Gallery, and a Trump adviser said to NBC that their discussions are in line with historical precedent.
