Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, former Egypt's defense minister, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 85, APA reports citing local newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm.
Tantawi reportedly died in the morning, after struggling with health issues for several months.
He served as the defense chief of Egypt from 1991-2012, and headed the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, performing the duties of the de facto head of state since February 2011, when ex-Hosni Mubarak resigned, until Mohamed Morsi assumed the presidency in June 2012.