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The foreign ministry's spokesman, Abbas Mousavi, said in a statement that, "while respecting the viewpoints of the great and brave Egyptian nation, the Islamic Republic of Iran offers its condolences to the Egyptian people, as well as Morsi's family and supporters".

Mousavi's statement added "wishes for divine blessing and mercy" for Morsi, who collapsed and died in a Cairo courtroom on Monday during a session in his trial on espionage charges.

Iran is an ally of Hamas, the group that rules the Gaza Strip. Hamas is also part of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood movement but has taken measures in recent years to reconcile with the current Egyptian authorities.

Under Morsi, Iran's president at the time, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, visited Cairo as ties between Egypt and Iran briefly improved, with Iranian tourists even visiting Egypt.

Morsi spent just one turbulent year in office after the 2011 revolution as Egypt's first democratically-elected president, before being ousted in a military coup.

A group of British parliamentarians in March 2018 warned in a report that his detention conditions had not met international standards and could lead to his "premature death".

Other Brotherhood leaders have also died in custody.

Agencies contributed to this report.