The EU has added Hezbollah’s armed wing to its terrorism blacklist. The move, agreed by the 28 foreign affairs ministers meeting in Brussels, is a reversal of past policy fuelled by concerns over the Lebanese group’s militant activities on European soil.

The change of mind came after evidence linked Hezbollah to a bus bombing which killed five Israelis and the driver in Bulgaria last year, as well as because of the group’s increasing involvement in the Syrian conflict.

Any assets they hold in Europe will be frozen.

Britain and the Netherlands have been pushing for the blacklisting since May, but many countries had resisted, arguing that it could destabilise Lebanon, where Hezbollah is part of the government.