Is currently unclear whether the president was on board the helicopter that state media says was involved in the accident, so there were three helicopters in this convoy. One of them had what state media are calling a hard landing. There is a lot of heavy rain and fog in the area and we are just seeing the mp for the city where the convoy was heading has told reporters in tehran that Emergency Rescue workers have yet to find the location of the president s helicopter, and heavy rain and fog has made the rescue very difficult. They are saying of the three helicopters, to have landed safely but there is no news on the third. Some reports do say they were carrying the president and Foreign Minister but we have had no confirmation of that at the moment and i amjoined in confirmation of that at the moment and i am joined in the studio by mike colleague. You have been monitoring the state media in iran. What is the latest as we know . You have presented what is the latest as we know . 7m, have presented it is what is the latest as we know . Vol, have presented it is absolutely right, there are conflicting reports. State media is saying a helicopter in a convoy of helicopters has had a rough landing. We dont have confirmation of whether Ebrahim Raisi or his Foreign Minister who was reportedly on the plane as well were on the plane together. There is some State Media Reporting that suggests the president was but again we dont have that confirmed. It is clear that state media is taking this very seriously. They are rolling on this news and the Interior Minister has been providing updates on speaking to officials in azerbaijan who are confirming some of what you said. The conditions right now and the fact there is heavy fog and this is a wooded area in East Azerbaijan means this Rescue Operation and search teams are having some challenges. Also, one State Media Agency has been asking iranians to pray for the president , an indication of how seriously they are taking it. In terms of Ebrahim Raisis own role in iran, the way he is perceived, he came to power in 2021 and those elections had a record low turnout and some candidates were barred from running. While we do report on iranian elections and often put caveats in terms of the Freedom People truly have, the elections are actually very important to iran. They are a way of justifying very important to iran. They are a way ofjustifying the Islamic Republic and the fact there was such a low turnout was seen as a real blow for the regime. And Ebrahim Raisi, just to reinforce how important of a figure he is in iran, he is seen as somewhat of a pro tj of the Supreme Leader and some even talk about him as a potential successor although there are complicated reasons to do with clerical rule is that i want to get into that make that a challenge and he is clearly not only president but an important figure to the operation of the regime itself. This is a blow for them in terms of the stability they are trying to project but there are so many conflicting reports that we really have to stress we dont know exactly what has happened here. As you say, i am seeing on the news wires that state tv is aiding players for the safety of the president and the Foreign Minister saying things are under control and rescue teams are doing their work but we know the Weather Conditions are very bad in that area. Yes. But we know the Weather Conditions are very bad in that area. Are very bad in that area. Yes, and state tv has are very bad in that area. Yes, and state tv has been are very bad in that area. Yes, and state tv has been rolling are very bad in that area. Yes, and state tv has been rolling on are very bad in that area. Yes, Andl State Tv has been rolling on images of these Rescue Operations, of people reportedly trying to find the helicopter and you can see there is fog everywhere which understandably would make the Rescue Operation is more difficult. Having said that, there is not much more we know. Either way the idea that state media is reporting this is even a possibility is concerning. There was also one report On State Media earlier and we dont know if this is confirmed, that suggests perhaps there had been some communications between some of the officials on board this convoy of helicopters and the government and perhaps that was a positive sign. But again state media did speak to an official in East Azerbaijan who said he doesnt have any figures on numbers of injuries, he himself is trying to get there to really ascertain what has happened. Get there to really ascertain what has happened get there to really ascertain what has happened. Get there to really ascertain what has hauened. , , has happened. Yes, the president was fl in back has happened. Yes, the president was flying back after has happened. Yes, the president was flying back after opening has happened. Yes, the president was flying back after opening a has happened. Yes, the president was flying back after opening a couple flying back after opening a couple of dams near the border with azerbaijan. Give us an idea where the city is in the area it is around. It the city is in the area it is around the city is in the area it is around. ,. ,. ,. , around. It is a northeastern part and it is also around. It is a northeastern part and it is also worth around. It is a northeastern part and it is also worth mentioning i around. It is a northeastern part and it is also worth mentioning it| and it is also worth mentioning it is a very mountainous area so we are talking about fog and a wooded area and talking about mountainous terrain. These are not ideal conditions for search and Rescue Operation which is so important to the country right now. We are talking about it right now, it has global implications. Again, we do not know whether president Ebrahim Raisi was actually on board this one helicopter that had a rough landing. We dont know if there are any casualties or injuries at all but clearly again state media is taking this very seriously. Clearly again state media is taking this very seriously. Viewers will be oininu as this very seriously. Viewers will be joining as all this very seriously. Viewers will be joining as all the this very seriously. Viewers will be joining as all the time this very seriously. Viewers will be joining as all the time and this very seriously. Viewers will be joining as all the time and just joining as all the time and just remind us what we do know, take us through the series of events. We know the through the series of events. Know the details are onlyjust coming in and we are hearing this from several State Media Agencies in iran that a convoy of helicopters, three helicopters, that was carrying president Ebrahim Raisi, including his Foreign Minister was involved. One of those helicopters was involved in a rough landing. An official in east as in byjan has told state media that the two others landed safely. According to local media Ebrahim Raisi was heading to the north west of iran after returning to the border with azerbaijan. Again, part of the concern amid all these conflicting reports in terms of whether the president was actually on board the helicopter involved, we do know the search and Rescue Operations have been very complicated. They are hampered by conditions. We know there is fog and this is a mountainous and wooded area which means the process of getting these answers has been really hampered. figs answers has been really hampered. As you said earlier, the Fact State Television are doing a rolling coverage of this show is the seriousness with which they are taking this. Seriousness with which they are taking this taking this. And not Ust Rolling Eevage you taking this. And not ust rolling coverage, you have b taking this. And notjust rolling coverage, you have a taking this. And notjust rolling coverage, you have a news taking this. And notjust rolling i coverage, you have a news agency asking iranians to pray for the president. They clearly are taking this seriously and speaking to officials and they have their own top officials trying to provide updates on trying to provide that stability that they are on the situation. The role of president Ebrahim Raisi, what he represents to this country, it is not quite the same as previous president s. The previous president was not seen as being as closely allied to the Supreme Leader and part of that is because Ebrahim Raisi, before he was even elected president in 2021, in what was an Election Record low turnout, he was also a top official of the judiciary, turnout, he was also a top official of thejudiciary, someone turnout, he was also a top official of the judiciary, someone seen as particularly powerful, and the judiciary in iran, we have covered this several times on the bbc and during those historic women led projects, thejudiciary is particularly powerful in iran and is seen as particularly fierce. One of the strongest arms of the Islamic Republic. Ebrahim raisi has always been at the heart of it. Just republic. Ebrahim raisi has always been at the heart of it. Been at the heart of it. Just seeing this again. Been at the heart of it. Just seeing this again, this been at the heart of it. Just seeing this again, this developing as been at the heart of it. Just seeing this again, this developing as we l this again, this developing as we are covering it. Iranian state tv now showing worshippers praying for the president , so again the whole nation seeming to get this news that has broken in the last hour or so. You rightly said holy city, it is somewhere that would have many supporters of the Islamic Republic, of the Supreme Leader, and of course of the Supreme Leader, and of course of the Supreme Leader, and of course of the president Ebrahim Raisi but it is also a city where we saw a lot of protests. It is really important to say here that it is a complicated picture. You clearly have something serious going on if you have state media rolling on it in this way, if you have top officials coming to provide updates and asking people to pray, but having said that, Ebrahim Raisi is something of a divisive figure. He is closely linked to the Islamic Republic and is seen as close to the Supreme Leader and so given that there has been so much political and domestic turmoil in the country as well as serious economic problems, he is someone who is a divisive figure still in iran, but of course this is the president and youre hearing about a potentially serious accident he may or may not have been involved in. It will be a top priority for the country. Will be a top priority for the count. ,. , will be a top priority for the count. , i. Will be a top priority for the count. ,. , country. Thank you so much for the moment, country. Thank you so much for the moment. I country. Thank you so much for the moment, i know country. Thank you so much for the moment, i know you country. Thank you so much for the moment, i know you will country. Thank you so much for the moment, i know you will go country. Thank you so much for the moment, i know you will go back. Country. Thank you so much for the i moment, i know you will go back out and keep an eye On State Media and if yourejustjoining us and keep an eye On State Media and if youre justjoining us letters remind you of the Breaking News. A helicopter and i Convoy Holding the iranian president has been involved in an accident. State media saying the helicopter experienced what they are saying is a hard landing. We have no confirmation at the moment that the president was on board that helicopter. There were three in the convoy that was taking him from opening a couple of dams near the border with azerbaijan, but what we do know is that the Weather Conditions in that area had what state tv are calling a hard landing. There is fog and heavy rain so it is making it hard for the rescue teams to get to that area. As i say, this is a developing story and you can get the very latest on the bbc news website and app and if we have any more developments from state media we will bring them to you here on bbc news. We are now going to turn our attention to one of the other big stories today. An inquiry into the uks Biggest Health scandal will release its final report tomorrow. More than 30,000 people in the uk were infected with hiv and hepatitis c after being given contaminated Blood Products by the National Health service in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. In total, 3,000 people died. Its been described as the biggest Treatment Disaster in the history of the nhs. Victims and their families have spent decades fighting for compensation. So how much will that compensation be . Ministers have been asked about the Blood Scandal this morning. With me is our Political CorrespondentDamian Grammaticus yes, this scandal as you say has rumbled on and on for decades. Thousands and thousands of people affected. Two issues, one as compensation and the second is reallyjust compensation and the second is really just the simple compensation and the second is reallyjust the simple recognition and getting to the heart of what happened here and why it has taken so long. What we will get is tomorrow the official inquiry that has looked into all of this and goes back to 2017, when that was set up. That will deliver its report. That is a key moment for the families but also a key moment politically because it then triggers this whole question about compensation that has been going on for some time. Interim payments have been given to the families but only fairly recently and the question then, the government has said it will give full compensation but how much . That is the question put to the defence secretary grant shapps on the bbc this morning. Reports suggesting the total amount could be in the region of £10 billion, a mass of some. This is how we answered. The ideate has taken all this time to get the ideate has taken all this time to get to the ideate has taken all this time to get to the trait is heartbreaking. The government have said they heartbreaking. The government have said they will want to respond quickly said they will want to respond quickly to it. Said they will want to respond quickly to it said they will want to respond ruickl to it. Quickly to it. Can you confirm the compensation . Quickly to it. Can you confirm the compensation . Im quickly to it. Can you confirm the compensation . Im not quickly to it. Can you confirm the compensation . Im not in quickly to it. Can you confirm the compensation . Im not in that I Compensation . Im not in that position. Compensation . Im not in that position, certainly compensation . Im not in that position, certainly others compensation . Im not in that position, certainly others Willl Compensation . Im not in that. Position, certainly others will talk about position, certainly others will talk about it position, certainly others will talk about it but i do know from my own constituency casework, it is heartbreaking and it is the system over decades having let down these families over decades having let down these families. find over decades having let down these families. �. ,. ,. , families. And part of the reason he sa s families. And part of the reason he says heartbreaking families. And part of the reason he says heartbreaking is families. And part of the reason he says heartbreaking is because families. And part of the reason he | says heartbreaking is because there have been people dying and continue to be. Every four days it is thought on average a person is dying before seeing this result, so it is a question that will continue and potentially land in the inbox of the labour party if they win the next election. Labours Shadow Health secretary wes streeting, this was his response. Let there be justice for victims of the scandal because every four days a victim the scandal because every four days a victim dies without justice and justice a victim dies without justice and justice has a victim dies without justice and justice has been delayed for too lonq justice has been delayed for too lonq all justice has been delayed for too long. All parties are going to have to take long. All parties are going to have to take some pretty heavy criticism on the to take some pretty heavy criticism on the chin to take some pretty heavy criticism on the chin when the report comes out tomorrow, including us, and we will take out tomorrow, including us, and we w