BRUSSELS (Reuters) - U.S. diplomatic staff returned to their embassy in Brussels on Wednesday after a brief evacuation caused by the discovery of a suspicious vehicle nearby, a U.S. official said.

Hundreds of U.S. diplomats and staff at the Belgium Defence Ministry were evacuated for around 45 minutes after police discovered a minivan with suspect number plates and protruding wires. After inspection by a bomb squad, the vehicle was declared safe and staff were allowed to return to work.

"The situation is all clear, everyone is back," a U.S. embassy official said.

(Reporting by Charlie Dunmore and Justyna Pawlak, Writing by Luke Baker)