Cyprus police confirmed Sunday they had arrested two people for "national security" reasons following a media report that two Iranians were being held on suspicion of plotting to attack Israelis.

Police would only confirm to AFP that they had made arrests, but could not divulge any details.

"Two people have been arrested. We are investigating a terrorism-related case," a police spokesperson said.

According to newspaper Kathimerini Cyprus, two Iranians were arrested and are awaiting deportation for plotting to attack Israelis living on the east Mediterranean island.

It said the two, political refugees with probable links to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, had been in the early stages of gathering intelligence about targets.

"Cyprus's state intelligence services closely followed the movements of the two Iranians over the past two months and managed to prevent possible terrorist acts in time," said Kathimerini, without revealing its sources.

It is the third reported case of plots against Israelis in Cyprus over the past two years.

In June, Israel's Mossad intelligence agency said it had detained an Iranian it said was behind a thwarted terrorist attack against Israeli targets on the island.

News of the foiled attack was revealed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office.

Cypriot authorities declined to comment.

In September 2021, Cyprus police arrested an Azeri with a gun who was trying to cross to the Turkish-occupied north of the island.

At the time, Mossad said it had actively prevented the contract killing of Israeli business people living in Cyprus.

The island has a sizable Israeli community as political ties have grown in recent years based on tapping regional energy resources.

Cyprus also served as a transfer hub for foreign nationals evacuated from Israel following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip after the October 7 attacks.