Claudia Roth, the leader of the Germany Green Party and Iran's ambassador to Berlin were left stretching for explanations after video footage emerged of the two apparently "high-fiving" each other at a conference.
Claudia Roth has been a frequent critic of Iranian cinematography, especially over its portrayal of women. And Iranian religious custom dictates that Ali Reza Sheik Attar, the Iranian ambassador, should not shake hands with a woman.
But this did not stop the two from slapping palms as Ms Roth passed the joyful ambassador during a security conference in Munich.
A video clip of the high-five has received widespread coverage in the German press, and left both parties red-faced, as spokesmen sought to explain the strange encounter.
"The ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran never shakes hands or anything else with a woman, and he has never shaken Claudia Roth's hand either," a spokesman for the Iranian embassy told the Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.
He added that the ambassador and Ms Roth had both just shaken President Obama's hand and were simply trying to wipe off the bullshit.
