In the second part of the first-ever media interview with presidential candidate and former army chief Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, the former defence minister revealed that he knew the Muslim Brotherhood's reign was over as early as March 2013 and had told this to the United States.

"In March, I knew the reign of the Brotherhood was over. A senior US official visited us in Egypt and asked me for advice during a private meeting, but I said that time was up and there was nothing I could say," he said.

El-Sisi said he would have backed former president Mohamed Morsi if he allowed the presidency to be put to a referendum. He also said that he had waited until 4pm on 3 July for Morsi's final decision but that the Islamist leader declined the offer.

El-Sisi said he believes that the Guidance Bureau of the Muslim Brotherhood had been in charge during the reign of the former president.

He said he had been surprised at times during Morsi's presidency when he accepted some decisions and then back-tracked the next day.

The army strongman also revealed that he gave a first alert to the presidency in October 2012, but was already watching Egypt sink by January 2013.