Jerusalem/IBNS: The Israeli police Thursday claimed to have arrested an Israeli couple, suspected of spying on behalf of Iran, media reports said.

"The thwarting of Iran's efforts to recruit Israelis continues," said a statement from the police and Israel's internal security agency, Shin Bet was quoted by AFP.

"The two Israelis, a couple from the central city of Lod, had been involved in gathering intelligence on national infrastructures, security sites and tracking a female academic," the statement alleged.

"Rafael and Lala Goliev... residents of Lod, were arrested after they carried out tasks on behalf of an Iranian cell that recruits Israelis from the Caucasus countries in Israel."

As per the police, the couple was recruited by Elshan (Elhan) Agayev, an Azerbaijani national acting on behalf of Iranian officials.

The police said that the Golievs carried out surveillance of sensitive Israeli sites, including the headquarters of Israel's Mossad spy agency.

The couple also collected intelligence on an academic working at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv.