Foreign Minister of Iran Mohammad Javad Zarif lashed out at UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson for his “hypocrisy” as his expression of concern about Tehran’s nuclear program has coincided with the announcement of plans to increase the British stockpile of nukes.

In a tweet late Tuesday, the top Iranian diplomat reiterated the Islamic Republic’s stance towards nuclear weapons.

In utter hypocrisy, @BorisJohnson is “concerned about Iran developing a viable nuclear weapon”. On the very same day he announces his country will increase its stockpile of nukes.

Unlike the UK and allies, Iran believes nukes and all WMDs are barbaric & must be eradicated.

— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) March 16, 2021

Johnson announced earlier on Tuesday that his country would increase its nuclear warhead stockpile by more than 40 percent to ensure its security in what he claimed riskier global environment and as it faces new technological threats.

London had previously been reducing its nuclear weapons stockpile, and in 2010, the government set a cap of 180 warheads for the mid-2020 period. Johnson scrapped the earlier limit and said the number would now rise to a maximum of 260.

Source: Iranian media and Twitter