Sometimes, it’s best to stand back and laugh your head off because there’s just nothing else you can do.

Then you remember these looney tunes are running the country, and the laughter turns into tears.

If you follow Iran closely, you must have seen the photo above.

It is a photo of Rahim Mashaie, Ahmadinejad’s faithful sidekick (his controversial chief of staff and BFF) alongside Hedieh Tehrani, Iran’s biggest superstar (who, like all superstars does not possess any real acting skills.)

The controversy arose because it was later announced that Mashaie granted Tehrani a $250,000 loan to set up her photo exhibit.

Now yesterday, the head of the Islamic Preachers Association (yes, they actually have one), a cleric by the name of Jafar Shojooni commented on the incident in an interview with FarceNews. His association had had a meeting with Mashaie earlier in the day.

Shojooni was asked by FarceNews if he had asked Mashaie about the superstar. Shojooni replied: “yes I did. Mashaie said that he had gone to the exhibit to see Ms. Tehrani’s photos. Mashaie also told me that he had told Ms. Tehrani “your photos remind me of the lord almighty. They have a holy spirit about them and remind me of god” to which Ms. Tehrani fell crying and responded in tears with: ” you’re the first person who has noticed this. I am so grateful.” ”

Shojooni had also asked Mashaie about this notorious photo to which Mashaie had replied: “some people have been very mischievous, and by using computerized techniques, they’ve altered the space between me and Ms. Tehrani to make it look as if we are sitting close, so I must admit that this picture is unreal.”

Sure it is Esfandiyar. Sure it is.