Egypt's Sisi expresses 'great sadness and grief' after Raisi death

"Egypt mourns, with great sadness and grief" the Iranian president and Tehran's top diplomat, "who passed away on Sunday following a painful accident," the presidency said in a statement.

Sisi, who has drawn closer to normalising relations with regional powerhouse Iran in recent years, extended "his sincere condolences and sympathy" to the Iranian people.

He also expressed Cairo's "solidarity with the leadership and people of Iran in this terrible loss".

Fuelled by regional trends for de-escalation -- including a surprise rapprochement last year between Iran and Saudi Arabia -- Tehran and Cairo have sought to mend decades of strained ties.

Diplomatic exchanges between the two countries have increased in recent months since the outbreak of the war in Gaza.

Sisi and Raisi met for the first time in November in Riyadh, and Raisi congratulated Sisi on his reelection the following month.