Mohamed Morsi, who was ousted by the army on Wednesday after a week of bloodshed and massive protests, insisted he remained Egypt's president in an amateur video recording posted on the Internet.

"I am the elected president of Egypt," the Islamist politician said in the video uploaded to YouTube.

Iran's moderate president-elect Hassan Rowhani on Wednesday cautioned the Islamic state against meddling in the private lives of its citizens, renewing his campaign promise of easing restrictions at home.

"A strong and capable government is not one that meddles, nor one that runs all affairs," Rowhani told a group of clerics in remarks broadcast on state television.

The Egyptian army toppled Islamist President Mohamed Morsi on Wednesday after a week of bloodshed that killed nearly 50 people as millions took to the streets to demand an end to his turbulent single year of rule.

The announcement, made on state television by Morsi's own defense minister, armed forces chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, drew a rapturous welcome from the protesters who have camped out on the streets of Cairo for days.

Syrian President Bashar Assad has said that massive protests against his Islamist Egyptian counterpart has spelt the end of "political Islam," in statements posted on Wednesday on his official Facebook page.

"What is happening in Egypt is the fall of what is known as political Islam," Assad said in an interview with Syrian state newspaper Ath-Thawra, excerpts of which were posted on the Internet.

The United States said Wednesday it was "very concerned" about developments in Egypt's political crisis, and urged President Mohammed Morsi to "do more" to address the concerns of protesters.

"We do remain very concerned about what we are seeing on the ground in Egypt," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. "We feel there was an absence of significant steps laid out by President Morsi."

Syria's main political opposition will attempt to nominate a new leader to unify a fractured coalition when members reconvene in Istanbul on Thursday, an official said.

Frontrunners include the secretary general of the Syrian National Coalition Mustafa al-Sabbagh, and Ahmad Assi Jarba, representing the faction of veteran secular dissident Michel Kilo.

Britain said on Wednesday it wanted to see radical Islamist cleric Abu Qatada on a plane "at the earliest opportunity", after Jordan said he would finally be deported this weekend.

A spokeswoman for the Home Office said she could not comment directly on operational security matters, but said: "Our focus is on seeing Abu Qatada on a plane to Jordan at the earliest opportunity."

Egypt will overcome its current crisis if President Mohamed Morsi leaves office, Syria's Information Minister Omran al-Zohbi said on Wednesday, as massive protests against the Islamist leader went into their fourth day.

Egypt's "security and unity are a national responsibility", Zohbi told a news conference broadcast by state television.

A top aide to Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi slammed what he called a "military coup" on Wednesday as an army ultimatum passed and the security forces slapped a travel ban on the Islamist leader.

"For the sake of Egypt and for historical accuracy, let's call what is happening by its real name: Military coup," Essam al-Haddad, Morsi's national security adviser, said in a statement on Facebook.

Close to 100 women have fallen victim to "rampant" sexual attacks in Cairo's Tahrir Square during four days of protests against Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday.

"Mobs sexually assaulted and in some cases raped at least 91 women in Tahrir Square... amid a climate of impunity," HRW, which is based in New York, said in a statement.