World IN BRIEF : IRAN : U.S. Will Return Some Frozen Assets

The United States has decided to return $567 million in frozen assets to Iran, retaining $243 million as insurance against further American claims, U.S. officials said. The move followed talks in The Hague last week between Abraham D. Sofaer, the State Department’s legal adviser, and Iranian officials. Iranian President Hashemi Rafsanjani had offered help in getting Western hostages freed if the United States released frozen assets, but U.S. officials said the decision to return the funds was unrelated to the plight of hostages.