Iran announced the arrest of an Israeli "network of spies and terrorists" on Tuesday, claiming the men were responsible for the death of one of its top nuclear scientists.

Professor Massoud Ali Mohammadi, a leading nuclear physicist, was killed last January when a booby-trapped motorcycle parked outside his home in Tehran exploded.

"They have confessed to being trained by the Mossad and receiving all of their equipment from that agency," Ismael Kowsari of the Iranian parliament's National Security Commission told the FARS News Agency.

Iranian intelligence chief Heidar Moslehi confirmed that 10 men, allegedly with links to Mossad, Israel's secret service, were in custody.

"Iranian intelligence infiltrated the Zionist regime's intelligence system and located the regime's networks," Moslehi told reporters on Tuesday.

"We acquired solid intelligence and managed to place our people in the regime's intelligence in order to trace people connected to the Zionist regime," he said.

The ministry also posted a statement on its website.

"Following extensive security measures and precise monitoring of information and thanks to Allah's graces, the intelligence ministry forces succeeded in identifying and arresting the main elements responsible for this terrorist crime and disbanded a spying and terrorist network affiliated to the Qods Occupying regime [Israel]," the statement read, FARS reported.

"Heavy blows were inflicted on the structure of the Zionist intelligence and security services," the statement concluded.