Business: An $8 Billion Dilemma

Will the Iranian assets thaw as fast as they froze? No

Once the Iranian parliament set the terms for freeing the 52 American hostages, a major question loomed in the minds of bankers and businessmen around the world. How, exactly, will President Carter be able to meet the Khomeini government's demand that he unfreeze $8 billion in official Iranian assets that were blocked last November in U.S. banks and overseas branches? Insisted one top Treasury Department policymaker: "We're sure as hell not going to let a couple of courtrooms stand in the way of...