Columbia University has agreed to pay $200 million to resolve allegations it discriminated against Jewish students, in exchange for the restoration of federal grants worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

In addition to the bribe cash settlement, Columbia University will also implement a series of reforms announced earlier this year.

“While Columbia does not admit to wrongdoing with this resolution agreement, the institution’s leaders have recognized, repeatedly, that Jewish students and faculty have experienced painful, unacceptable incidents, and that reform was and is needed,” the university said in a statement announcing that it had reached a deal with the federal government.

In March, several government agencies announced an initial wave of grant cancellations to the university that totaled around $400 million, the Epoch Times reported.

In a statement, acting University President Claire Shipman said the agreement “marks an important step forward after a period of sustained federal scrutiny and institutional uncertainty.”

“The settlement was carefully crafted to protect the values that define us and allow our essential research partnership with the federal government to get back on track. Importantly, it safeguards our independence, a critical condition for academic excellence and scholarly exploration, work that is vital to the public interest,” Shipman stated.

Authored by Guy Birchall via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Air India said on Tuesday that precautionary inspections found no issues with fuel control switches on its Boeing aircraft following last month’s fatal air disaster that killed 260 people.

The announcement follows a preliminary report into the incident, released last week, that said the switches in an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner shifted and flipped within seconds, starving both engines of fuel, shortly after taking off.

Moments later, Flight AI171, carrying 242 people, crashed into a medical college hostel.

Dr. Dhaval Gameti at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad said on June 14 that the facility had received 270 bodies, 241 of which are believed to be passengers and crew of Flight AI171. One passenger survived.

The investigation by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau into the June 12 crash of the plane that took off from Ahmedabad, in northwestern India, bound for London’s Gatwick Airport, is focused on the fuel control switches of the Boeing 787 jetliner.

Last week, the Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation ordered all airlines operating Boeing aircraft to examine fuel control switches and submit their findings to the regulator by July 21.

In recent weeks, Air India has faced service disruptions amid heightened scrutiny and additional safety inspections, leading to flight delays and cancellations.

On Monday, an Air India Airbus 320 veered off the runway while landing in heavy rain at Mumbai International Airport, partially damaging the underside of one of the plane’s engines and causing a temporary runway closure. No one was injured.

In a separate incident, an Air India flight from Hong Kong experienced a fire in its auxiliary power unit (APU) on Tuesday as passengers were exiting the aircraft after landing in New Delhi.

“The APU was automatically shut down as per system design. There was some damage to the aircraft, however, passengers and crew members disembarked normally, and are safe,” the airline said on X. The airline added that the aircraft was grounded for investigation.

Earlier this month, the South Korean Transport Ministry said it was preparing to order all airlines operating Boeing aircraft in the country to examine fuel switches, in accordance with a 2018 advisory from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

In that 2018 advisory, the FAA Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin recommended that operators of several Boeing models, including the 787, inspect the locking feature of the fuel cutoff switches to ensure that they could not be moved accidentally.

Indian conglomerate Tata Sons took over Air India in 2022, returning the debt-laden national carrier to private ownership after decades of government control.

Since the takeover, Air India has ordered hundreds of new planes worth more than $70 billion, redesigned its branding and livery, and absorbed smaller airlines in which Tata held stakes.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

In late April, we were among the first to cover footage from startup Volonaut, showcasing its ‘superbike for the skies‘, a single-seater, jet-powered hoverbike capable of slicing through the air at 124 mph. 

Months later, Volonaut has released raw flight footage of the Airbike. One standout moment is the rider spooling up the turbine to achieve operating power, or lift, which is a thrill in itself to hear. 

“We are excited to share this raw flight footage, including take-off and landing, all with real sound. No special effects, no CGI, no AI, pure engineering. Enjoy the future!” Volonaut wrote on X. 

We are excited to share this raw flight footage including take-off and landing, all with real sound.
No special effects, no CGI, no AI, pure engineering. Enjoy the future!

A fully functional real-world “speeder bike” that so far only existed in sci-fi movies is finally here. pic.twitter.com/DNFcZdyrTr

— Volonaut (@Volonaut) July 23, 2025

The Airbike is reminiscent of the iconic speeder bikes from the early 1980s sci-fi classic Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. 

The Imperial scout trooper seems to be very proud of his new Volonaut Airbike!
Stay tuned and watch him taking it for a spin around the forests of Endor on May the 4th. #MayThe4thBeWithYou pic.twitter.com/NfWqq1lfkd

— Volonaut (@Volonaut) May 3, 2025

Volonaut emphasized, “A fully functional real-world “speeder bike” that so far only existed in sci-fi movies is finally here.” 

Related:

• Goldman’s China Tech Tour Underscores One Message: America Must Reclaim These Supply Chains By 2030

We suspect that the aviation revolution, already unfolding across China with eVTOL aircraft, will take off slower in the U.S. However, with the FAA gradually modernizing after former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg blew billions of dollars on DEI, America’s inflection point for high-tech flying machines like this could arrive by the early 2030s, if not sooner. 

Authored by Ryan Morgan via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

The Pentagon is continuing to wind down its troop deployment to Los Angeles, now withdrawing around 700 U.S. Marines who deployed to the California city last month in response to civil unrest.

President Donald Trump ordered the Marines to deploy to the city in June, along with 4,000 National Guard troops, following protests and riots against federal immigration enforcement operations.

In a press statement shared with The Epoch Times on July 22, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the unrest had subsided enough that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth could order the Marines to withdraw.

“With stability returning to Los Angeles, the secretary has directed the redeployment of the 700 Marines whose presence sent a clear message: lawlessness will not be tolerated,” Parnell said.

“Their rapid response, unwavering discipline, and unmistakable presence were instrumental in restoring order and upholding the rule of law. We’re deeply grateful for their service, and for the strength and professionalism they brought to this mission.”

The Marines who deployed to Los Angeles last month are assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, based out of Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California.

Last week, the Pentagon announced that approximately half of the 4,000 National Guard troops it had deployed to Los Angeles were also pulling back from the mission.

About 2,000 National Guard troops continue to guard federal buildings and personnel in the city.

The Los Angeles troop deployment elicited criticism from Democrat leaders at the state and local level.

In June, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, requested a temporary restraining order halting the federal troop deployment.

Newsom argued that Trump had improperly bypassed his authority as governor and that the deployment violated the Posse Comitatus Act, which limits the instances in which federal troops can engage in civilian law enforcement activities.

On June 12, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer ordered the Trump administration to turn control of the California National Guard back to Newsom, but a federal appeals court stayed the lower court’s decision later that day, allowing the federal government to continue directing National Guard troops throughout the Los Angeles deployment.

Last week, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, celebrated the withdrawal of approximately 2,000 National Guard troops from the Los Angeles federal mission.

In an interview with ABC News, Bass cast the troop deployment as performative and questioned why more than 4,000 troops were needed for a mission she described as guarding two buildings.

Bass again celebrated the news of the Marines withdrawing from Los Angeles.

“We just got word that the Marines will be able to go back to their families and will be leaving Los Angeles,” Bass said in a July 21 video post on X.

“I’d like to say that they heard from the people of Los Angeles. This was an unnecessary deployment.”

Sam Dorman contributed to this report.

One of the dozen or so socialist policy proposals from NYC Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani is the creation of government-funded grocery stores.

While the Democratic Party increasingly embraces socialist and Marxist-leaning policies, such as the seizure of private property, this idea of government-funded grocery stores appears disconnected from both fundamental economic realities and historical precedent.

Nowhere is this more evident than in East Kansas City, where a nonprofit operates a grocery store on government land that has become a symbol of failure, plagued by the smell of rot and empty shelves.

Local media outlet KSHB 41 Kansas City toured Sun Fresh Market at 3110 Wabash Ave (31st & Prospect) on the city’s Eastside. The store opened in 2018 as part of a multi-million dollar public-private revitalization of the Linwood Shopping Center. Operated by Community Builders of Kansas City, a nonprofit focused on urban development, the store has since become a massive reminder that while socialism may sound great on paper, in practice, it can be an absolute disaster. 

KSHB 41’s Alyssa Jackson reported that her news team received a tip from a viewer about empty shelves throughout the dairy section, meat department, bakery aisle, and deli counter.

“There was a time this store was on life support,” said Pat Clarke, a community advocate, adding, “I could tell you today right now it’s damn near dead.”

Jackson said that when she first walked into the grocery store, she was immediately hit by a rotten smell.

In a separate investigative report, FOX Business Network’s Kelly Saberi spoke with one patron who said, “There’s no meat. There’s no vegetables. There’s no nothing. Are you going to take care of the community that’s surrounded around you? If not, sell the store to someone that can be more responsible.” 

Mamdani and his obsession with socialism and Marxism come as he has barely held a real job, couldn’t make it as a rapper, and has been deeply involved with the Democratic Party’s dark money-funded NGOs.

History has shown that these government-run grocery stores always fail. 

This is Cuba.

People required to show their food ration coupon book to buy food in state-run grocery stores. https://t.co/CldJ30RyqL pic.twitter.com/cw4hdcqshe

— Songpinganq (@songpinganq) August 19, 2024

Jason Curtis Anderson from One City Rising comments on this:

This idea from Zohran Mamdani isn’t just unserious—it’s a case study in how today’s activist-socialists live in a completely inverted reality.

Government-run grocery stores have been tried before, from Birmingham, Alabama, to Baltimore, and they’ve all failed spectacularly. They became political patronage machines, hemorrhaged taxpayer dollars, and in the end, they left neighborhoods with less access to food, not more. What’s worse, the Mamdani proposal doesn’t even pretend to address the actual reasons private grocers avoid certain areas: crime, regulatory red tape, and the high cost of doing business in New York. Instead, it assumes that if we just let the state take over, all of those problems magically disappear.

But this is the pattern we keep seeing with young, edgy socialists who think they know better.

They reject everything in the past that has actually worked for humanity—capitalism, enforcing laws, protecting property rights—and declare that these pillars of modern civilization have never worked at all. In their worldview, markets don’t feed people, laws don’t keep neighborhoods safe, and private property is a historical mistake. So they pivot to ‘fresh ideas’ like defunding the police, abolishing private ownership, and now, city-run supermarkets.

Democrats should be reminded which way the Berlin Wall fell… 

Authored by Katabella Roberts via The Epoch Times,

An appeals court on July 22 declined the latest attempt by The Associated Press to lift Trump administration restrictions that bar its journalists from accessing certain areas of the White House.

In a one-page order, the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia’s 11 active judges rejected the news agency’s request for an en banc review—meaning all the judges would hear the case—of an earlier June 6 decision by a divided three-judge panel.

The move left in place the previous ruling, which found the administration could legally restrict the AP’s access to news events in limited spaces, including the Oval Office and Air Force One, while the case plays out in court.

“The court’s standard for en banc review is not met in today’s case. Correct or not, the emergency panel’s unpublished stay is a nonprecedential order that did not purport to resolve the appeal’s merits. And an order’s inability to create an enduring intracircuit conflict or to bind future panels to an exceptionally important legal principle strongly counsels against full-court intervention,”  Judge Justin Walker wrote in his concurring opinion denying the motion for en banc reconsideration.

“Time will tell if today’s decision marks a lasting return to this court’s high standard for en banc review.”

The ruling was in response to a lawsuit filed by the AP in February after President Donald Trump barred the agency from entering the Oval Office and Air Force One as part of a press pool until it adopts his administration’s renaming of the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America in its style guide.

The lawsuit lists White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich, and chief of staff Susan Wiles as defendants.

It alleges the White House’s actions violate the First and Fifth amendments of the Constitution, and seeks to regain the news agency’s full access to the White House.

“The press and all people in the United States have the right to choose their own words and not be retaliated against by the government,” the complaint states.

“The Constitution does not allow the government to control speech. Allowing such government control and retaliation to stand is a threat to every American’s freedom.”

The AP’s style guide is widely used by many media organizations. The lawsuit noted that while the news agency referred to the body of water between Mexico and Florida “by its original name” in its style guidance, it also acknowledged “the new name Trump has chosen,” in his January executive order directing federal agencies to refer to the gulf as the Gulf of America.

The Trump administration had argued in court documents that the decision to grant journalists “special access” to the White House is a “quintessentially discretionary presidential choice that infringes no constitutional right.”

In April, District Judge Trevor N. McFadden ruled that the government could not retaliate against the AP’s decision not to follow the president’s executive order and ordered it to lift the restrictions imposed on the news agency.

The D.C. Circuit panel paused McFadden’s order in its June ruling, finding that the lower court injunction “impinges on the President’s independence and control over his private workspaces” and that the White House was likely to succeed in defending against the AP lawsuit.

AP spokesman Patrick Maks said the news agency was disappointed by the court’s latest decision but remains focused on “the strong district court opinion in support of free speech,” as the case continues.

“As we’ve said throughout, the press and the public have a fundamental right to speak freely without government retaliation,” Marks said in a statement to media outlets.

The White House said the lawsuit filed by the AP was baseless and criticized what it described as the news agency’s “self-absorbed actions.”

The Epoch Times has contacted a spokesperson for The Associated Press for further comment.

Authored by Tom Ozimek via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

As In-N-Out Burger prepares to open restaurants and a corporate office in Tennessee, owner and CEO Lynsi Snyder says she and her family will relocate from California.

In a message posted on social media on July 22, Snyder said California is a “tough” place to live and do business in, though she clarified that the company’s corporate headquarters would not be moving out of the state, nor would any In-N-Out restaurants be shut down.

“In addition to our Baldwin Park office, we’re expanding with an eastern territory office in Tennessee to support our growth,” she said. “We’re not leaving California or leaving our roots behind. Each one of our locations is here to stay.”

Snyder’s move to Tennessee makes her the latest business leader to exit California, a state prized for its climate but burdened by steep taxes, heavy regulation, and high living costs. Other prominent businesspeople to leave the state include Elon Musk, who not only made Texas his new home but also moved Tesla’s headquarters from Palo Alto to Austin. Musk feuded with local authorities in California in 2020 over pandemic shutdown orders and also complained that high housing costs were hampering Tesla’s ability to expand in the Bay Area around San Francisco.

Other companies besides Tesla that have left California include Charles Schwab and Chevron, both citing high taxes, regulatory hurdles, and steep operating costs. But it’s not just businesses and corporate leaders—ordinary Californians are also leaving the state in growing numbers. According to Chapman University economics professor James Doti, who has studied migration trends in California, the exodus started around 15 years ago.

“It has been gradually increasing,” Doti told The Epoch Times in 2023.

He said at the time that many Californians were following their employers out of the state, driven by high taxes, strict environmental rules, and an unfriendly business climate.

“Job formation outside of the state is greater,” he said. “[People are] going to areas where they could get a higher-paying job, and that’s happening because businesses are leaving the state—and that’s a negative.”

In her departure message, Snyder focused on California’s high cost of living—especially its soaring house prices. She said that In-N-Out’s expansion into Tennessee provides employees “wonderful opportunities to buy a home and raise a family.”

“This is part of a healthy plan for our growth, and also there are so many opportunities for people to own homes in Tennessee and even some of the surrounding states that we could possibly end up in,” she said. “It’s tough here in California, and this doesn’t have to do with my love or loyalty to the state and our customer—but I love our associates and I would love to offer them this, just like we’ve offered other states that provide different things to them—you know, the dream of a home and a family is more feasible there, for sure.”

According to the Tax Foundation’s 2025 State Tax Competitiveness Index, the contrast is stark: Tennessee ranks eighth nationwide, while California sits near the bottom, at 48th. Tennessee levies no personal income tax and collects about $4,200 in state and local taxes per capita, less than half of California’s $9,200. California’s top income tax rate reaches 13.3 percent, alongside higher corporate, gas, and cigarette taxes. Tennessee also carries less state debt and maintains better-funded public pensions, factors that help make it more attractive to companies and executives looking to relocate.

Last week, in an appearance on the “Relatable” podcast, hosted by conservative commentator Allie Beth Stuckey, Snyder said that there are many “great things” about California, but that raising a family and doing business in the state is “not easy.”

Authored by Anne Johnson via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Most people see annuities as a haven for their money. The guarantee of a monthly income lends a feeling of security during retirement.

But what if the insurance company holding your annuity fails? What happens to your nest egg? Although not a common occurrence among life insurance companies, insurance insolvency can happen.

Is There a Federal Safety Net for Annuities?

The federal government provides $250,000 insurance through the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) for banks. But, unfortunately, if the company holding your annuity goes insolvent, your principal or future payments aren’t guaranteed by the federal government.

Your annuity is also not insured by the Securities Investor Protection Corp (SIPC), which provides $500,000 to investors if their brokerage fails.

The federal government doesn’t control insurance. That is left to the individual states. States have guaranty associations that offer some protection to policyholders.

States Responsible for Insurance Companies

According to the U.S. Government Publishing Office concerning general provisions for bankruptcy, domestic insurance companies are explicitly excluded from federal bankruptcy laws.

Instead, insurance companies are regulated and therefore come under the control of state governments.

When an insurance company fails, states’ guaranty associations protect policyholders from significant financial losses. Guaranty associations are nonprofit organizations established by law. They consist of members, which are insurance companies.

According to the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI), the states’ guaranty associations’ coverage for failed insurance companies is funded by post-insolvency assessments of the other guaranty association member companies. Assessments are based on each member’s share of premium during the three prior years.

Is There a Limit to the Amount Paid by Guaranty Association?

The coverage amount provided by each guaranty association to the policyholder is set by state statute and differs for each state. But according to ACLI, most states provide $250,000 in present value of annuity benefits, including cash surrender and withdrawal values.

Payment isn’t made to the policyholders until the bankrupt insurance company has been liquidated. This can take months and in some circumstances years.

Payees of structured settlement annuities are also entitled to $250,000 of coverage.

If you are due to receive lifetime payouts, the coverage would be based on present value. This is based on the value of the future income stream in today’s dollars. According to Annuity.org, the present value is affected by the interest rate used to discount future payments, the number and amount of payments, and the timing of the payments.

If your annuity is worth more than the guaranty association limits, you may receive money back after the insurer is liquidated.

Money in variable annuities is generally invested in mutual funds in your own account. But money covered by the insurer’s general account could be at risk. Variable annuities are considered securities and are federally regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), according to Annuity.org.

How to Choose a Financially Stable Insurer

In the United States, there are five credit-rating agencies that assess insurers’ financial strength: AM Best, Fitch, Moody’s, and S&P Global.

Each agency has different rating standards. The Credit Rating Agency Reform Act of 2006 regulates these agencies.

Credit-rating agencies don’t recommend any particular annuity product; they simply assess an insurance company’s financial stability.

Depending on the rating agency, the scores can run from the best, using As, to the worst, using Ds or Fs. For example, S&P Global’s best rating is AAA (extremely strong) and goes down to D (default) with plus and minus qualifiers.

If you have a question about the rating of an insurance company you’re considering, contact your state insurance commissioner’s office. Here is a list of the state insurance commissioners.

What to Do If Your Insurance Company Is Insolvent

You will be notified if your insurance company goes into receivership or is liquidated. Confirm this with your state’s department of insurance or the National Organization of Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Associations (NOLHGA).

You’ll also want to reach out to your state’s guaranty association. Here’s a list of state guaranty associations.

You’ll want to have all your annuity records, including account balances, payment schedules, premiums paid, and contract terms.

It may be wise to consult a fee-only financial adviser to assist you through the complex insolvency process. There may be delays before you receive your money. So, you’ll need to be patient.

Is It Common for Insurance Companies to Go Bankrupt?

It is not common for life insurance companies to go bankrupt. Property and casualty companies are more likely to become insolvent due to catastrophic claims from natural disasters.

But in 2019, four insurance companies went bankrupt:

• Southland National Insurance Corp
• Colorado Bankers Life Insurance Co.
• Bankers Life Insurance Co.
• Southland National Reinsurance Corp

All were owned by now-convicted fraudster Greg Lindberg.

Chances Are Low Your Annuity Provider Will Go Bankrupt

It’s rare for a life insurance company to become insolvent. However, if you are considering an annuity, be sure to check the company’s rating.

Fortunately, you have a safety net. States have a guaranty association that will pay you at least $250,000 once the company is liquidated.

U.S. natural gas futures fell for a third consecutive session on Wednesday, hitting its lowest intraday level since late April, as new weather forecasts indicate a much cooler weather pattern unfolding across the Lower 48 for the beginning of August. 

Bloomberg cited Darrell Fletcher, managing director of commodities at Bannockburn Capital Markets, who noted that one of the most critical technical support levels for NatGas futures, around $3.20, is currently being tested.

As of late Wednesday afternoon, the level had been broken, pushing prices to their lowest levels since late April. According to Fletcher, the slide in prices is directly linked to softer demand expectations as cooler weather is forecast to sweep across parts of the Lower 48 late next week. 

One such forecast comes from Paul Dorian, a meteorologist with Arcfield Weather based in Valley Forge. He stated in an update for clients, “Unsettled weather returns this weekend and next week’s pattern with northwest flow aloft could produce “mesoscale convective complexes”…a pleasant start to August is on the table.” 

“By later next week, an upper-level trough of low pressure may intensify over the southeastern part of Canada, and it would likely feature a cooler-than-normal air mass. In fact, there are signs that this pattern could bring about a cooler-than-normal start to the month of August in the Mid-Atlantic region which begins next Friday,” Dorian said. 

Take a look at New York City’s two-week average temperature outlook… It’s at or below 30-year seasonal norms.

Watch: Dorian Outlines Lower 48’s August Outlook

Access Dorian’s full report here… 

Authored by Jack Phillips via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Iran’s foreign minister confirmed this week that U.S. airstrikes left the country’s nuclear facilities “destroyed” but said Iran would continue to enrich uranium. This comes about a month after three facilities were targeted.

“Our facilities have been damaged, seriously damaged, the extent of which is now under evaluation,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed in a Fox News “Special Report” interview on July 21.

Later in the interview, Araghchi conceded that “the facilities have been destroyed,” referring to nuclear enrichment sites that were targeted by the U.S. military on June 22. President Donald Trump authorized the strikes amid a nearly two-week aerial war between Iran and Israel.

U.S. officials and Trump have said that strikes carried out by B-2 stealth bombers destroyed Iran’s ability to enrich uranium at three sites: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Several intelligence assessments have been leaked to the media suggesting otherwise, however, drawing pushback from Trump and others.

In a post on Truth Social on July 21, Trump responded to the Araghchi interview on Fox News and again said that reports claiming the United States didn’t destroy the sites are false. Trump also warned that the U.S. military could launch more strikes if needed.

“Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, on the Iran Nuclear Sites: ‘Damages are very severe, they are destroyed.’ Of course they are, just like I said, and we will do it again, if necessary! As interviewed by Bret Baier,” Trump wrote on social media.

The president added that CNN and other media outlets should “apologize” to him and “the great pilots” following the strikes, which he said “OBLITERATED” Iran’s facilities.

In the Fox News interview, Araghchi said that Tehran will not abandon its nuclear program.

“It is stopped because, yes, damages are serious and severe. But obviously, we cannot give up [on] enrichment because it is an achievement of our own scientists. And now, more than that, it is a question of national pride,” the foreign minister said.

Before the conflict in June, Tehran and Washington held five rounds of nuclear talks mediated by Oman but could not agree on the extent to which Iran should be allowed to enrich uranium.

Israel and Washington say Iran was close to enriching to levels that would allow it to quickly produce a nuclear weapon. Tehran says its enrichment program is for civilian purposes only.

U.S. ally Israel launched strikes on Iran on June 13, and the two nations then engaged in an air war for 12 days in which Washington also bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities. A cease-fire was reached in late June.

Araghchi also said that Iran’s top leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was in “good health” and that Tehran was open to talks with Washington, but that those will not be direct “for the time being.”

Iran will meet with France, Germany, and the United Kingdom in Istanbul on July 25 to discuss the country’s nuclear program, a spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said earlier this week.

The talks will take place at the deputy ministerial level, a spokesman said.

Reuters contributed to this report.