Iran's weightlifting federation has banned Mustafa Rajaei from competing for life for talking to and shaking hands with an Israeli competitor at the World Championships.
Rajaji won the silver medal and stepped onto the podium alongside Israel's bronze medalist at the competition in Poland.
As a result, the federation banned him from all sports facilities in the country for life.
Iranian authorities forbid athletes from competing directly with Israelis.
Iranian athletes therefore often resort to different methods, such as surrendering matches or feigning injury to avoid direct duels with the Israelis.
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Rajai (40) was draped in an Iranian flag while standing next to Israeli athlete Maksim Svirski on Saturday.
The two were at the competition of the legends of this sport in Poland.
Rajai previously represented Iran at the 2015 Asian Weightlifting Championships in Thailand and is a former member of the Iranian national team.
The state news agency IRNA reported that he "crossed the red lines set by the Islamic Republic."
The Iran Weightlifting Federation also fired competition team chief Hamid Salehini over the incident.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, called on Iranian athletes in 2021 not to shake hands with Israeli competitors if they win a medal.
Some Iranian athletes ignored the ban, fleeing abroad.
Chess grandmaster Alireza Firuzja has left the country after being banned from competing in the 2019 World Championship over concerns he would face an Israeli player.
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