Iranian state media report that the government is planning not to hold talks with the US in Islamabad, with the ongoing US blockade of Iranian ports remaining a major sticking point.

The tensions have been exacerbated by the US military’s attack on and seizure of the Touska overnight.

State broadcaster IRIB on Sunday quoted Iranian sources as saying “there are currently no plans to participate in the next round of Iran-US talks”.

The Fars and Tasnim news agencies had earlier quoted anonymous sources as saying “the overall atmosphere cannot be assessed as very positive”, adding that lifting the US blockade was a condition for negotiations.