Hostile Moves in Gulf Saudi Arabian warplanes chased off dozens of Iranian speedboats converging on a Saudi port in the Persian Gulf, diplomats said.

At the time of the attack the ship was en route to the Saudi port of Dammam from Kuwait, via Dubai.

A Saudi-American inspection team searched the suspected containers in a Saudi port, and turned up nothing illegal.

Tanker loadings continued at the main Saudi port in the Persian Gulf yesterday, although at a reduced rate.

Customs forms are available at all Saudi ports or downloadable from the Saudi Arabian Customs Office website Failure to declare or provide accurate information can lead to prosecution, legal penalties, and confiscation.

As an indicator of shipping activity in the gulf, Lloyd's offered some information on the number of merchant ships calling at two main Saudi ports: Ras Tanura and Jubail, which is about 130 miles from Kuwait.

The 35-year-old ship left the Saudi port of Dabah on Thursday night for a routine trip across the 120-mile stretch to Safagah.

Saudi Ports Authority supervises the following major Saudi ports:

On August 28, 1993, U.S. and China agreed to an open inspection of the ship at a Saudi Arabian port, by a Saudi-United States joint team.

LEAD: The Saudi Arabian port of Yanbu was the site where the boycott and blockade of Iraq were first tested.